Harry Potter and the Lost Archive
by Ynyr
Summary: In the aftermath of the Battle of Hogwarts Harry meets a powerful magical practitioner named Ivy, who asks the young hero for a small favor. She wants him to be the father of her children.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: In this AU the Battle of Hogwarts took place in 2011, the same year as "Ghost Story" (Dresden Files #13).

* * *

While stealing the Hufflepuff Cup from the LeStrange Vault had seemed like a sensible idea at the time, Harry Potter had quickly come to realize what a terrible mistake he had made. At seventeen he was now legally an adult wizard, and the Dursleys would never again support him financially. Yet all his galleons were locked-up at Gringotts, and he had no idea if the vengeful goblins were going to empty his Vault. In the week since the Battle of Hogwarts he had been trying—and failing—to write a letter to the greedy monsters in hopes of working out a deal which didn't leave him destitute.

"Ask for meeting in the Forbidden Forest."

Harry jumped up out of his transfigured desk and had the Elder Wand pointed at the newcomer in an instant. He had come down to the Chamber of Secrets to be alone, and the unexpected voice had scared the bejesus out him. "Who are you, and how did not get down here?"

"My name is Ivy, and I arrived the same way you did. Salazar Slytherin and his descendents made extensive notes on Parseltongue pronunciation," the blonde girl replied.

She was a bit younger and a bit taller than Harry was, and despite her immaculate Hogwarts robe he was sure he had never see her before today. However for some reason it was her blue eyes that caught his attention: they were just... wrong.

"And you really should ask for meeting with the goblins in the Forbidden Forest."

"How did you know I was writing to the goblins?" he asked.

"You have tried to compose that letter for days now," this Ivy replied as she studied the corpse of the basilisk. "If anyone in the world writes anything down I know about it instantaneously. I am the Archive."

"I never heard of a witch with a power like that before, but my friend Hermione would sell you her first-born child if you could teach her how to do it," Harry said jokingly.

"You think I am lying," the strange girl said in sad voice. "Very well. Do you remember what you asked Santa Claus for when you were five? A hug from your Aunt Petunia. Do you remember that letter you wrote the summer after the Triwizard Tournament begging your godfather to come and rescue you from Privet Drive? You were crying so hard that your tears caused the ink to run. And of course there was that charming limerick you wrote comparing Cho Chang's bottom to a pair of Quaffles."

"That's impossible. I destroyed those letters before anyone could see them," the horrified wizard whispered.

"Don't worry. No one else knows about them but me," Ivy assured him. "The knowledge is locked away in my mind, and can be found nowhere else on Earth. And before you ask, my ability is a form of magic unique to my family. It can't be taught or transferred to outsiders."

Harry pondered her outlandish claim for minute. "This some kind of prank; you must be using Legilimency on me. There is no way one person can have all the knowledge of the world in their head. No single wizard or witch is that powerful."

"That statement would be true if I was a witch, but my magic is far different from yours," Ivy explained. "If you require further proof I suggest we take a trip to your school's library."

Harry wasn't sure if the girl was sane or not, so getting out of the Chamber of Secrets without a fighting a duel sounded like an excellent idea to him. "Ladies first."

When they reached the vertical tunnel to the girl's second-floor bathroom Ivy dismissed his broom with a sniff, and instead summoned a flat stone disk right out of the bedrock. Without using a wand or speaking any kind of verbal incantation.

"Hop aboard."

The trip up to the bathroom was so sooth Harry hardly noticed they were moving at all. "How are you doing this? Is it an advanced Levitation Charm?"

She deflected his question with one of her own. "I take it you don't want to be seen by your fellow wizards and witches? Then please allow me to raise a veil before we leave the bathroom."

"Is this veil you are using the same thing as a Disillusionment Charm?" Harry asked as they walked towards the library unnoticed by any of the students or Aurors who were roaming the hallways.

"The underlying mechanics of the spells have nothing in common, but the end results are nearly identical," Ivy replied as they reached their destination. "Now go find a book, but don't open it. Give me the title and a page number, and I will tell you word for word what you will find on that page."

The testing lasted for almost an hour, and Harry grew more and more hysterical as they worked their way through the stacks. This was a depressingly common reaction when other human beings were told of the existence of the Archive. Some went so far as to worship her ancestors as gods when they learned of the truth, while others committed suicide in the face of real omniscience. Ivy knew that the boy would soon ask a very painful question, and she could only hope that her answer would satisfy him. If she lied to him now it would ruin everything she was hoping to build in the future.

Harry suddenly stopped the testing and slammed the book he was reading down on the table between them. "If have all this information at your disposal then you must have known where Voldemort kept his horcruxes!"

"Yes, I knew the general location of Tom Riddle's little trinkets and I also know several spells which could have been used to destroy them."

"Than where were you a month, or better yet a year ago when I really needed you?" Harry shouted. "Over fifty people died during the Battle of Hogwarts last week, and a lot of them were very important to me!"

"Please listen to me," Ivy said as she closed her eyes. "The Archive was created five thousand years to preserve the knowledge of humanity in case of a major cataclysm, and it has been handed down from mother to daughter for over two hundred generations. When I received the Archive at birth it instantly made me one of the most powerful individuals in the world, but I can never actively use that power. If I did I would quickly become a target for the other supernatural powers, and it would only be a matter of time before I was captured or killed. I must always stay neutral if I am to fulfill the task which was given to my family all those thousands of years ago."

"I guess that makes sense," Harry reluctantly conceded after a long silence. "If you really are this "Archive" it would make you too important to risk in something as chaotic as a battle. But if what you are saying is true than why did you come to Hogwarts, and why are you talking with me now?"

Ivy hesitated a moment before again evading his question. "One way or the other you are going to meet with the goblins soon. When you do they will offer to forgo any monetary penalties for the damage you caused to Gringotts if you are willing to officially become a "Friend and Ally to the Goblin Nation" in return."

"Well, that doesn't sound too bad."

"That is exactly what they want you to think," Ivy explained. "In reality goblins have neither friends nor allies among human beings—they only have indentured servants and enemies. If you were to sign that contract it would make you their servant, and they could magically compel you to keep your new status a secret. Having you as their agent would give the goblins a great deal of power over their enemies in the Ministry of Magic. That would be far more valuable to them than the thirty-four thousand galleons being held in your Vault."

"You are serious? The goblins want to make me their bloody slave? Is that even possible?"

"You were compelled to compete in the Triwizard Tournament against your will, weren't you?" Ivy pointed out. "The magical contract the goblins have prepared is similar in nature, but will last for a far longer period of time."

"And I was just about to walk right into their trap," Harry muttered. "If you are supposed to stay neutral, than why are you helping me?"

Again Ivy ignored his question as she got up to leave. "Remember to ask for a meeting in the Forbidden Forest, and to look for the phase "Friend and Ally to the Goblin Nation" in any document they want you to sign."

* * *

"Why are you doing this? These people are the Amish of the magical world. No scratch that, they are the mentally retarded Amish of the magical world."

Ivy glanced over at the man who had been her bodyguard since the day of her birth. Jared Kincaid was the six hundred year-old son of demon and a human mother. This unusual paternity gave him supernatural strength and reflexes to go along with his extensive military training. "I agree with you that their magic is limited, but it still has its uses."

"Magic," Kincaid snorted as he kept watch over the Forbidden Forest. "The Blackstaff can cause an earthquake or fire-up a volcano. And remember that time he pulled a Soviet communication satellite out of obit and dropped it down on Duke Ortega's estate? That was real piece of magic."

"Are you forgetting what happened to me in Chicago?"

Three years ago Ivy had been kidnapped by a group of Fallen Angels who called themselves the Order of the Blackened Denarius. These evil creatures were powerful, but even as a group they lacked the strength to defeat her in open combat. So instead the Denarians had trapped her using an advance spell circle which had cut the Archive off from any outside sources of magic. They tortured her for several days in an attempt to convert her to their unholy cause. Luckily she had been rescued before suffering any permanent damage.

"While the Blackstaff and I draw our magical power from the world around us, Harry Potter and those like him produce their magic internally," Ivy explained. "If I had that ability I could have broken free of the spell circle the Denarians used to trap me."

Kincaid flinched. Allowing his charge to be captured that day had been the single worst failure of his entire professional career. "I have fought against these so-called wizards dozens of times over the centuries. As long as you keep your distance there isn't much they can do to hurt you. Even a smooth-bore musket is more than enough to kill one of them."

"Your analysis is essentially correct: their internal magic is only useful in short-range engagements against an unprepared enemy. Despite these limitations I still believe Harry Potter can of use to me."

"Speaking of the idiot," Kincaid grumbled as he gestured toward the figure that was just now coming into view. "He is walking right into their ambush. Alone."

"Then it is a good thing that he has us," Ivy pointed out. "I expect single-shot kills with a minimal amount of muscle damage."

Her bodyguard responded with an insolent smirk as he brought a Heckler & Koch HK417 rifle up to his shoulder. Ivy had suggested using a fifty-round drum magazine, but Kincaid wouldn't hear of it. There were only nineteen goblins present in the Forbidden Forest, and he told her that a twenty-round clip was more than enough to deal with them.

Harry approached the single goblin standing out in the open, and the two began talking. Finally the smaller creäture produced a parchment which obviously held the contract they wanted him to sign. Harry read it for a few moments and then began shouting. At this point the goblin signaled his warriors to come out of hiding, and they quickly surrounded the Boy-Who-Lived.

"Now," Ivy said quietly as she dropped the veil which had hidden them. Kincaid always complained that the magic threw off his optics by at least two or three millimeters.

The first ten goblins were dead before any of them realized what was happening. The other nine only had a second to turn their bodies towards the source of the gunfire, but that simply made it easier for Kincaid to target their vital organs. Just three seconds after the first shot Harry Potter was the only thing left alive in the now-bloody forest clearing.

"You were saying something about needing a fifty-round drum magazine?"

Ivy rolled her eyes at Kincaid's macho posturing. "Stay here and keep a watch out for the centaurs or that demi-giant they employ at the school. I want to have a private conversation with Mr Potter."

She expected the poor boy to be in shock, but he seem to be coping with the situation well enough. "Are you alright?"

"You know Ivy, for someone who has to stay neutral you've a bad habit of sticking your nose in my business. And thanks for suggesting the Forbidden Forest as a meeting spot," Harry added sarcastically.

"If you had agreed to a meeting at Gringotts were would have been no way for me to protect you."

"Fine, then explain to me why you would want to protect me in the first place!"

"As I told you before the Archive was design to be neutral at all times, but there is one very important... loophole. I am allowed to use my powers to defend not only myself, but also my family."

"We're not related, are we?" a confused Harry asked.

"No, we are not related."

They were literally hundreds of ways for her to seduce the boy, but only the truth would give her what she wanted. Despite having the experience of five thousand years to draw upon Ivy couldn't help but blush as she continued. "But you are of superior genetic stock, so I want you to impregnate me."

That wasn't what Harry was expecting. At all. "You saved me from the goblins because you want to have sex with me?"

"This is not about sex—it is about the future of the Archive," Ivy explained. "You are the most powerful wizard in your little world, and there is an eighty-six percent probability that our hypothetical daughter would have a similar aptitude."

"That's crazy. I've seen your brand of magic, and it is way more powerful than mine."

"I have told you before that the types of magic we practice are very different. Your magic is created inside of your body," Ivy said as she placed her hand on his chest. The two virgins had led very sheltered lives, and they both blushed at this small but intimate gesture. "I draw my magic from the surrounding enviroment, and focus it with my mind. Here, let me show you."

Ivy then raised her arms and began summoning the magic that was concentrated so heavily in the Forbidden Forest. Harry could actually feel the energy flow by him as it gathered in the young girl's hands. Soon a large Rune made of pure light was floating in the air between them. "Don't be alarmed—I am simply going to reanimate these creatures." Suddenly the rune exploded out towards the goblin corpses and caused them to glow. After a few seconds they all stood up and began to gather their dropped weapons.

"You just made Inferi," a horrified Harry said.

Ivy started laughing. "I glad you have a sense of humor. It will make living together in the future much more pleasant."

"So these things are not Inferi?"

"Comparing my Zombies to Inferi is like comparing the Sistine Chapel to a crayon drawing done by a preschooler," Ivy replied. "These reanimations will pass right through all of Gringotts' magical defenses, and they will have no problem slaughtering every single creäture living in the building and the caverns below."

"You are going to kill all the goblins at Gringotts just because they threaten to enslave me?"

"As long as I consider you my mate I can do whatever I feel is necessary to protect you from any threats you might face," Ivy informed him as the dead goblins began marching into a strange hole that she had created in the side of one of the larger trees.

"Where does that hole take them to?" Harry asked.

"Nevernever."

"OK, the goblins are going to Never Never Land. Look this whole "let's have babies together" business is very flattering but..."

"I would strongly recommend that you not finish that sentence," Ivy snapped. "I am giving you one hundred days to think over my proposal. Only when that deadline has passed will I accept your answer."

"And if you don't like the choice I make?"

"Harry, the goblins were the least of your worries. This summer is going to be full of surprises for you," Ivy said with a cryptic smile just before she vanished into thin air.


	2. Chapter 2

As Harry read the special late-day edition of _Daily Prophet_, Ivy's warning about a summer "full of surprises" kept running through his head. According to the front-page article a loud siren had gone off in the lobby of Gringotts yesterday afternoon, and the goblins had immediately forced their customers to leave the premises. All the bank's entrances had been sealed with powerful wards, and for the first time since the last goblin rebellion a hundred and forty years ago Gringotts had failed to open its doors for business this morning.

"This is just great," Hermione seethed. "At this rate I will never be able to go to Australia to find my parents and remove the Memory Charm I placed on them."

"Calm down," Harry pleaded. "You had no way of knowing that the goblins could freeze your muggle bank account at Barclays. I promise you that we will fix this, and you will be on a plane to Sydney by the end of the week."

"That is what you said before your meeting in the Forbidden Forest," Hermione said. "Why won't you tell us what happened out there?"

"Because you won't believe me if I did," a glum Harry replied, thinking of the bloodbath which took place right in front of his eyes. "I can't believe it happened myself, and I was standing right there."

"Come on, we believed you when you told us that Snape was a great war hero. What can possibly top that?" Ron asked as he toyed with his mashed potatoes. Fred's untimely death had done the impossible: it had destroyed his little brother's appetite.

"Mr Potter!" a harsh Scottish brogue bellowed out across the Great Hall. "Mr Potter, you will come with me at once!"

"Come on you two. I can't deal with Minerva by myself right now," Harry told his best friends.

Hermione was the only of the three who really respected the old witch anymore, so they let her do the talking. "What is the problem Headmistress?"

"There is a large war party of goblins approaching Hogwarts," McGonagall explained. "They are flying a Banner of Truce, but with the current state of the castle's defenses I don't know if we could hold them off if they decided to attack. I have contacted Minister Shacklebolt by floo, but given the limited number of Aurors at his command it will be some time before he can reinforce us. The goblins are asking to speak specifically with Mister Potter, so I was hoping that he could go out and have a word with them."

"So you want Harry to go out there alone, and get himself killed? Again?" Ron snarled. "Isn't the Headmistress of Hogwarts the one who is suppose to defend the school from attacks?"

"I will go and talk to them," Harry quickly said, hoping to avoid a row.

In his heart though he actually agreed with his tactless friend. While McGonagall had spent the War collaborating with Voldemort's regime, they had been out in the wilderness risking their lives on a daily basis trying to find the horcruxes. Yet once again she was expecting the Boy-Who-Lived to play the hero even if it got him killed. There was also the problem of his new friend Ivy: if she had actually used those zombies to attack Gringotts then the goblins were probably here to collect his head as a trophy.

"No Harry, you are not going out there alone," Hermione said forcefully. "I always thought that Professor Binns was a bigoted fool, but he was right about the goblins and I was wrong. They are deceitful monsters who can not to be trusted under any circumstances. We will wait for Minister Shacklebolt and the Aurors."

"I feel I must reminder the three of you that you stole something of great value from one of Gringotts' Vaults and fled the premises with a dragon, causing a great deal of damage in the process," McGonagall pointed out. "You can not expect the Ministry of Magic to protect you from the consequences of your actions."

The trio exchanged a set of silent glances, and then left the Great Hall without another word. Only when they reached the hallway did Hermione finally speak. "We have been fooling ourselves thinking that Hogwarts was safe. Minerva doesn't have the strength, or apparently the inclination, to defend us."

"But where can we go?" Ron asked. "The wards around Grimmauld Place have been smashed, and the Burrow is too crowded and too depressing."

"And if I was there it would only make your family more of a target for the remaining Death Eaters," Harry added. What he didn't say out loud was that Ginny was at the Burrow, and he was in no mood to deal with her teenage angst at the moment. "We will talk about our future living arrangements tonight if we are still alive after this meeting."

Two hours later a very unhappy Minister of Magic finally arrived, and their party of four made its way out to the edge of the castle wards where goblins had pitched a small pavilion. The twenty Aurors the Minister had brought with him from London were left behind to strengthen the defenses around Hogwarts. Not that they would be of much use against the hundred goblin warriors they were now facing.

"Kingsley be honest with me: if it comes down to another goblin rebellion or handing me over to be executed, which option will you choose?" Harry asked as they walked.

"I know it is a strange concept for you Gryffindors, but let's hear what they have to say before we make any rash decisions," the Minister, a proud Ravenclaw alumnus, replied.

The pavilion was completely silent as they entered, so Harry decided to introduce himself to the most ornately dressed of the bunch. "I am Harry Potter. You asked to see me."

All at once the small creatures prostrated themselves face-down in the dirt. "We humbly beg for your forgiveness, and offer you a Mountain of Gold in hopes of satiating your great rage," the goblin leader said with an odd and unfamiliar accent.

"Harry, what do you do?" Hermione hissed.

"Don't look at me. I haven't been back to Gringotts since we left on the back of that old dragon."

The Minister shot them both a dirty look before switching over to his Auror persona. "Where is your leader Ragnok?"

"He and the rest of the English Clan have been slaughtered to the last soul," the goblin replied.

"All the goblins who worked at Gringotts are dead? How did you discover this bit of information?" Kingsley continued.

"We received a message from Ragnok that his clan was under attack," their leader explained. "We arrived from Norway a few hours ago to find them all dead. According to Goblin Law we have taken over management of the London Branch, and will open tomorrow morning if Harry Potter will allow us to live."

"Why are you blaming all this on Harry?" Hermione asked.

The goblin obviously didn't want to answer that question, but he was too frightened not to. "Ragnok sent word to the other clan chiefs of a plot to bring young Potter under his personal control. Then in a matter of days his clan is wiped-out by an army of goblin Inferi."

"Are you absolutely certain they were attacked by goblin Inferi?" Kingsley asked sharply. "How do you know it wasn't a failed attempt at a coup d'état?"

"No they were Inferi; the signs were very obvious if you know what to look for. And with Lord Voldemort dead Harry Potter is the only known Necromancer currently alive in Europe," the goblin explained.

"I am not a Necromancer," Harry snapped.

"Well, you did survive the Killing Curse twice," Ron pointed out.

"Ronald, you are not helping the situation when you say things like that out loud," Hermione whispered.

Kingsley was studying Harry closely, and he suddenly cast a Privacy Charm cutting them off from the goblins. "You didn't attack Gringotts personally, but you know who did, don't you? Dumbledore might have tolerate your flouting of the law, but I will not. Tell me what you know, or I will place all three of you under arrest for instigating a war with the goblins."

"She told me her name was Ivy," Harry answered through clenched teeth. After the girl had placed him in this predicament he saw no reason to protect her. "She was powerful, incredible so. She was able to kill nineteen goblins, and then turn them into Inferi in less than ten minutes."

"That is impossible," Kingsley said. "Creating Inferi is a process which takes at least two or three months depending on the quality of the corpses being used. Try again Potter."

"I'm not lying. You can give me Veritaserum if you don't believe me. Or we can use Dumbledore's pensieve, so I can show you the memory."

"This is all very interesting, but what about the army of angry goblins surrounding us and the castle?" Ron asked quite sensibly.

"Tell them to donate half of the Mountain of Gold to St Mungo's and the other half to Hogwarts. Then tell them to return to London and reopen Gringotts," the Minister ordered.

"What in the name of Merlin is a Mountain of Gold?" Harry wanted to know.

"It is a very old goblin term for a million galleons," Hermione explained. "Traditionally when one clan lost a war they had to pay a Mountain of Gold to the victorious clan or face extermination."

"Minister you want Harry to give away a million galleons just like that?" an incredulously Ron asked.

"If he didn't kill those goblins then he doesn't deserve any reward," Kingsley reasoned. "You are still maintaining that it was this mysterious Ivy-person who created the Inferi, aren't you?"

"Yes, that is exactly what happened," Harry replied before turning to face the goblins. He ordered them to give half the galleons to St Mungo's and half to Hogwarts, and then gave them permission to reopen Gringotts the next day.

After the goblins left, Harry asked Hermione for a spare bit of parchment. "I have to send someone a message," he explained to the confused witch.

* * *

"So, she knows everything what was ever written down by everyone?" Ron asked an hour later as they waited for Ivy in the Forbidden Forrest. "Is that even possible?"

"No, it is not," Hermione huffed. "Harry she must have been using Legilimency on you. It is the only sensible explanation."

"If I was using Legilimency on him then how did I know he wanted this meeting?" Ivy asked after she appeared out of nowhere. The girl was still wearing a set of Hogwarts robes, and was also carrying a red leather suitcase for some reason. "Please put your wands away. I would be most put out if I had to kill any of you."

"What were you thinking when you sent those Inferi to Gringotts?" Harry snapped. "Now the new Minister of Magic thinks I am some kind of Dark Necromancer, and he threaten to send me to Azkaban. I killed Voldemort less than two weeks ago, and they are already starting to turn on me thanks to you!"

"I told you they were Zombies not Inferi, and I sent them to Gringotts for two very specific reasons. One, goblins have an irrational fear of rotting flesh, so much so that they always cremate their dead. They were too terrified by the Zombies to put up much of a fight. Two, I wanted to provoke a hostile reaction from Shacklebolt," Ivy explained.

"Well that plan certainly worked. The Minister now the hates Harry, and thinks that he is budding Dark Lord," Hermione said.

"No, he already hated Harry. Before his death Albus Dumbledore sent Shacklebolt several letters instructing him to watch you closely for any signs of corruption by Black Magic," Ivy replied. "By slaughtering those goblins I simply forced Minister to express those fears openly to Harry's face. Now you know the truth."

"Albus though that I would go Dark?" Harry asked in a small voice. "When I saw him in the afterlife he said that he was proud of me, that he loved me."

"Maybe he did," Ivy allowed. "But that doesn't change the fact that a piece of Tom Riddle's soul coexisted with your own for over fifteen years. Dumbledore had no way of knowing what the long-term effects of that would be, and he felt it was his duty to warn Shacklebolt that you might become a problem at some point down the road. He was mistaken, but he had no way of knowing that."

Hearing Dumbledore insulted by a stranger infuriated Hermione. "How can you be so sure he was wrong about the possible side-effects of a horcrux?"

Ron immediately jumped to his best friend's defense. "Of course the old goat-lover was wrong! There is no way Harry will ever become a Dark Lord."

"That really doesn't matter at this point. What matters is that Kingsley believes it," Harry said. "Why does the Minister hate me personally? I've never done anything to him."

"Shacklebolt knows that you were present at Riddle's rebirth, and he knows that you had to die before Riddle could be killed once and for all," Ivy explained. "From his point of view you should have been executed years ago since it would have prevented the entire war in the first place."

"That theory is rubbish," Hermione declared. "Harry was only one of several horcruxes that Voldemort created during his lifetime."

"Shacklebolt doesn't know about the other horcruxes, and if you told him about them now I doubt he would believe you," Ivy replied. "Albus Dumbledore's habit of keeping secrets has left Harry in a very difficult position. The only way he can satisfy Shacklebolt's paranoia is to become an obedient little Auror who never steps out of line. Is that the kind of life you want to live? A poster boy for a corrupt and inefficient Ministry of Magic?"

"You are trying to manipulate my life just like Albus did."

"Yes, I am," Ivy freely admitted. "The difference is choice: Dumbledore gave you none while turning you into a martyr. I on the other hand want to give you a long and rewarding life, and I will never lie to you."

"You have already lied to him about this whole Archive nonsense," Hermione said in her most insufferable know-it-all manner. "Why should he believe anything else you say?"

Ivy just looked at Hermione, and her emotionless blue eyes caused the witch to step back repeatedly until she fell flat on her arse. "Miss Granger, despite your constant rudeness I am going to give you a gift." She then opened the red suitcase, and showed the trio its contents.

Harry began paging through documents as Ron helped his girlfriend to her feet. "There are passports for all three of us, entrance visas for Australia, and look: Ivy found the exact address where your parents are living! She even got pictures of them. Plus there is a floo address for a local Healer who specializes in Memory Charms."

As Hermione looked at the surveillance photos she began to cry. "You did this all for me?"

"No," Ivy replied honestly. "I did it for Harry,"

"Hey, you also have a passport for little Teddy Lupin and Andromeda Tonks," Harry remarked.

"I thought you might like to invite your godson and his grandmother along for the trip since the rest of their family is either dead or in Azkaban," Ivy offered.

This kind gesture earned her a rare hug from Harry. Unfortunately that hug caused Kincaid came out from behind his veil and point a Glock handgun directly at the boy's head. "Back away slowly Potter."

"Who the bloody hell are you?" Ron shouted.

"Everyone relax. This is Jared Kincaid, my over-protective but well-meaning bodyguard," Ivy explained as she locked eyes with the older man. "Put the gun away. Now."

"Sorry Potter, but no tasting the milk until you agree to buy my little heifer."

"Kincaid, if you ever refer to me as a heifer again I will kill you." Ivy said, and everyone knew instinctively that she was speaking a literal truth.

At this point Hermione—who was still crying in Ron's arms—asked who was coming with her to Heathrow Airport. "It will be expensive, but I have enough money saved at Barclays to pay for three one-way tickets. Getting home might be a little tricky though."

"I can get you to Sydney by midnight," Ivy offered.

Kincaid went pale when he heard that. "You want to travel to the other side of the world through Nevernever? Please tell me you haven't finally gone insane."

"What, is Captain Hook the pirate going to capture us and make us walk the plank?" a laughing Hermione asked as Ron gently wiped away her tears.

* * *

"We are all going to die," a terrified Hermione said after Ivy had single-handedly destroyed a large herd of carnivorous giraffes.

According to the Archive when you stripped away the superstitious nonsense Nevernever was nothing more than other dimension which existed parallel to our own. The rules of physics were a bit twisted and the native life-forms were somewhat unusual, especially the humanoid Sidhe. Otherwise it was much like Earth. Only much more dangerous.

"Do try and calm down Miss Granger," Mrs Tonks said as she pushed Teddy's baby carriage along the path they were following. It hadn't taken much effort to convince Tonks' mother to come along with them on their little adventure. She explained that staying home brought her nothing but nightmares about her dead husband and daughter. "We are perfectly safe in the company of a member of the White Council."

"What is the White Council?" Harry asked.

"Purebloods like to think of themselves as being at the top of the food chain, but in truth our magic is very weak when compared to other supernatural beings," Mrs Tonks said. "Or so my great-grandmother use to tell me. Bellatrix, Narcissa, Sirius and Regulus could never sit still long enough to listen to her tales. She often spoke of a mysterious group of wizards who protected the entire world from unspeakably evil threats that we purebloods could not even begin to imagine, not in our worst nightmares."

"Is that true Ivy?"

"Yes Harry, the White Council does exist, and they do see themselves as the ultimate guardians of both the human race and the Earth itself. They are even lead by a man who calls himself the Merlin. However I am not a member of their little club," she replied while magically brushing aside a pair of nasty-looking gophers.

"You mean that there is not only _**our **_secret community of wizards and witches, but _**another**_ secret community of even more powerful wizards as well?" a puzzled Hermione asked. "And this second community is so secret that we don't even know of its existence?"

"Your kind might not know about the White Council, but they know all about you," Kincaid explained. "The Council ignores you because they view you as primitive and weak. Trust me, you should be glad they see things that way."

"Indeed, the White Council has only one punishment if you violate any of their laws: decapitation by sword," Ivy added.

"Decapitation! That is barbaric," Hermione huffed.

"And having your mind slowly destroyed over the course of several years by the Dementors of Azkaban is civilized?" Ivy countered.

Kincaid suddenly stopped and cocked his head to the left. "Oh shite, I hear horses. You know what that means."

"It certainly took her long enough to respond," Ivy said. "We have been trampling though the Lands of Summer for a good twenty minutes."

Harry was just about to ask what was going on when he saw them. There was a lone woman and several men in armor riding towards them on large white horses. As they got closer he began to notice that they were are very beautiful, even with their strange white hair. When the riders stopped just a few meters away Harry revised his opinion: their leader wasn't simply beautiful, she was the most perfect woman he had ever seen in his life. Just looking at her caused him to become intensely aroused.

"Ronald Weasley!" Hermione yelled, and Harry was relieved to see that he wasn't the only one fighting a losing battle with his teenage hormones.

"Miss Granger don't be angry at the poor boy's condition, be grateful for it," Mrs Tonks whispered. "You must have heard those nasty rumors about Headmaster Dumbledore."

Ivy let out a snort before addressing the riders. "Hello Titania."

"Watch your tongue mortal, you are in the presence of the Queen of Earth and Light!" one of the handsome guards declared in a deep and melodious voice.

"She isn't my queen," Ivy replied before waving her hand and sending the buffoon flying for several hundred meters. "You might want to think about teaching your subjects the proper etiquette for dealing with the Archive."

"I see that your mother's stupidity hasn't completely corrupted your bloodline," Queen Titania remarked, and even her sultry voice was flawless. "You are trespassing on the Lands of Summer, and I can not allow an insult of this magnitude to go unchallenged. Plus you killed my favorite herd of bloodthirsty giraffes."

"Shall we have a contest?" Ivy suggested. "If I lose, I shall be your slave."

"And if I lose?" the Queen asked playfully. She had often tried and failed to match wits with the Archive in the past.

"You will swear an oath to act as this child's godmother. He is son of a shape-shifter and a werewolf, and has inherited the greater talent."

"A true shape-shifter with internal magic? You offer excellent bait as always," Titania murmured.

"Ivy, what in the name of Merlin are you doing?" Harry demanded.

"Trust me, have a Sidhe godmother as powerful as Titania will be a valuable source of protection for Teddy. And given his relationship with you, that is something he will need in the future."

"You know you are better at manipulating me than Dumbledore ever was, and I have only known you for a few days."

"True, and we haven't even had intercourse yet."

The Queen of Summer was watching this verbal jousting with a small but highly erotic smile on her luscious lips. "I do so enjoy seeing the Archive in love. It is the only time those of your bloodline are remotely amusing. Very well, I agree to your terms. Shall we play a game of Weiqi or would you prefer chess?"

"Weiqi," Ivy replied as she conjured two golden thrones. Titania provided a wooden board covered with small black and white stones, and she left it floating in the air between them.

"If your girlfriend loses she becomes a slave to that sexy Queen?" Ron asked. "That's wicked brave of her."

"Mrs Tonks, you don't seem very upset about Teddy's role in their little bargain," Harry pointed out as Ivy and Queen Titania began to play the ancient Chinese game. Neither contestant was using their hands, and the floating stone pieces were moving faster than the eye could follow.

"Your girlfriend was right: having one of the Sidhe as Teddy's godmother will be a great asset for him."

"Ivy is not my girlfriend."

"Not yet," Hermione muttered under her breath. "Do you really think these people are the Sidhe she told us about?"

"Just look at them. They certainly aren't human beings," Mrs Tonks replied.

The game only lasted for five minutes, and Ivy won rather convincingly. "The Sidhe are highly intelligent, but they lack the ability to concentrate for long periods of time," she explained after the Queen and her escort had departed. "There are at least a thousand plain-vanilla mortals on Earth who could beat Queen Titania at a game of Weiqi, so the probability that I could lose to her was approximately zero point zero."

"How much longer until we reach Australia?" Hermione wanted to know.

Ivy responded by gracefully opening a portal, and the famous Sydney Opera House was clearly visible in the distance.


	3. Chapter 3

Given that Ivy's family had been around for a few millennia, it made sense that they picked up a few choice pieces of real estate over the years. One of these was a two-hectare oceanfront villa located in the posh Sydney suburb of Vaucluse, where she had brought the group after leaving Nevernever. The villa was furnished with every modern luxury you could ask for, and its magical wards were strong enough hold off not one but two armies if anyone was foolish enough to attack the Archive in her own home.

Rather than directly confront poor Wendell and Monica Wilkins, Ivy decided that Kincaid should kidnap Hermione's parents. Successfully removing a Memory Charm after a year's time was a tricky proposition, and she reasoned that their Healer would work better in a secure environment. To everyone's surprise Mrs Tonks had offered to accompany Kincaid on his mission.

"A married couple will attract less attention from the muggles," Andromeda told them as she handed Teddy over to his godfather in exchange for Harry's Invisibility Cloak. "Besides, I would like to see more of the city."

The pair had left in a Range Rover twelve hours ago, and Hermione wasn't showing much patience with the situation. "Where are they?" she whined every ten minutes or so.

"It takes time to properly plan and carrying out an illegal kidnapping," Ivy replied as she gently levitated a large Swarovski crystal chandelier over Teddy's crib with one hand while blocking Harry, Ron, and Hermione's combined curses with the other. "Now stop complaining, and focus on your casting."

Since the villa's wards hide them from the Oceanic Ministry of Magic, Harry had suggested they have a mock duel to pass the time. After their eventful trip through Nevernever both Ron and Hermione wanted to learn more about Ivy's magic, and they greeted his suggestion with enthusiasm. Unfortunately for the trio this mock duel turned out to be a disaster.

"I don't understand; you are annihilating all our charms, curses, and transfigurations without even trying," Harry said during one of the breaks they took when Teddy needed to be changed and feed. "It's like our spells cease to exist when you counter them with your type of magic."

"Yes, that is exactly what is happening," Ivy replied.

"So you don't even have to use a shield against us? You can just wreck our spells before they even reach you?" Ron asked.

"Ronald your magic is created internally, which means there is always a finite amount of it. This limitation forced your ancestors to be creative," Ivy explained as she deftly fed Teddy his bottle. Out of all of them she was the only one who had experience dealing with babies. In fact Harry had thrown up when he tried to change his first dirty nappy.

"With access to so little magic they needed to develop powerful wands and very specific incantations to organize their thoughts if they wanted to accomplish anything at all magically. Because of this your spells resemble soap bubbles: they are incredible beautiful but incredible fragile at the same time. The magic I draw upon is more potent and has a higher… density, for lack of a better word. When I send it flowing through your spells it disrupts their delicate structure like a powerful jet of water piercing a soap bubble."

"So we are basically defenseless against you and the members of the White Council," Ron said.

"No, you are not completely defenseless. If I failed to counter any of your attacks you could kill me just as easily as you would any other human being," Ivy replied. "However if a true wizard is prepare for a fight things can turn ugly very quickly. Three hundred and twenty-five years ago a single member of the White Council—the Blackstaff himself—slaughtered over a thousand of your kind in less an hour of magical combat."

"You could kill a thousand wizards and witches all by yourself?" Harry asked in horror.

"Wait a minute, three hundred and twenty-five years ago would make it 1685," Hermione calculated. "And the International Statue of Secrecy was passed in 1689. That can't be a simple coincidence."

"Of course it was not a coincidence," Ivy said as she began to burp Teddy. "The White Council was sick of cleaning up the problems caused by your little Dark Lords. They waged a short but brutal war against your leaders until they signed a peace treaty which forced them to accept the new Statue of Secrecy. It also made them responsible for stopping any aspiring Dark Lords before they were able to attack the larger world."

Harry looked confused. "Why did the White Council allow us to sign that Treaty if they could have just killed us all so easily?"

"As I have told you, just because you use internal magic doesn't mean you can't fight back. A Killing Curse is just as deadly to a true wizard as it is to anyone else—if you can catch him or her off guard," Ivy reminded them. "You also have a few other magical advantages over the Council."

"Potions," Ron offered. "Snape may have been a greasy git, but he sure could brew a lot of really useful potions."

"Your potion masters, and your healers for that matter, are quite talented," Ivy allowed. "However those potions and healing spells only work in tandem with your body's magic. If you tried to use them on mortals they would be useless, or even toxic in some cases, which makes them of limited value outside of your tiny communities."

"We can apparate and create portkeys, but you can't," Hermione guessed. "That is why you are forced to travel through Nevernever despite all the dangers you face there."

"Yes, your unique ability to apparate does provide you with several important tactical options. Not only can you retreat when attacked, but it is also allows you to conduct guerrilla-style raids," Ivy said. "It doesn't completely even the odds, but it does make it all but impossible for the White Council to gain a total and unconditional victory during any conflict between the two sides."

"Well that's a relief," Ron muttered. "Any other useful pointers for us poor wankers?"

"You can't perform Memory Charms, can you?" Harry asked. "That is why you needed to hire an outside Healer to work on Hermione's parents."

"Well done," Ivy said, and the gentle compliment made her prospective husband blush.

"I could create or remove a Memory Charm, but it would be like performing brain surgery with a chainsaw. Mind Magic is the one field where your lot manages to outclass the White Council, since your wands and delicate spell-casting are ideally suited for manipulating the human brain. It is also a dirty secret that the Council tolerates your abuse of the Laws of Magic because your Obliviators are so useful in hiding the existence of magic from the mortals."

"Dragons!" Ron yelled suddenly. "My bother Charlie works at a Dragon Preserve, and one of the most important parts of his job is to keep the place a secret from any muggles who accidentally find out about it."

"Well done, Ronald," a beaming Hermione said.

"I must tell you that those poor beasts are not true dragons," Ivy said. "But yes, maintaining the Dragon Preserves is another bonus as far as the Council is concerned."

"We also protect places like the Forbidden Forest," Hermione added. "I guess that preventing magical animals and plants from being destroyed by the muggles is too menial a task for the great wizards of the White Council."

That bitter observation caused Ivy to laugh. "Yes, they are a very arrogant bunch, and they probably do view animal husbandry as a task unworthy of their time even if the animals are magical in nature."

"Incoming!" Kincaid called out from the front door.

The tall bodyguard soon came striding into the parlor, and he was followed by the unconscious Philip and Kate Granger who were floating in front of Mrs Tonks. The older witch was a curious sight: only her head, bare shoulders, and wand arm were visible. The rest of her was still hidden by Harry's Invisibility Cloak.

"Were there any problems?" a nervous Hermione asked as her parents were gently deposited on two of the sofas.

"No," Kincaid replied. "Andromeda here is pretty useful for an Amish witch. These two never even knew we were in the house waiting for them."

"Andromeda is it?" Ivy asked in a cold voice as she took in the woman's disheveled hair and apparent nakedness.

Kincaid just smile. "You know how boring long stakeouts can get. We will be upstairs if you need us."

"Harry would you like your Invisibility Cloak back?"

"No, Mrs Tonks! Just keep it for now."

Ivy walked over to the man who represented the only family she had ever known, and began to whisper furiously. "You are aware of the fact that Karrin Murphy is no longer a member of the Chicago Police Department, and is now a Knight of the Cross?"

"My affairs have never concerned you before. Why the sudden interest?" Kincaid asked as he watched Andromeda's long brown hair float up the staircase. That was certainly true. In the fifteen years they had lived together the man had taken over a hundred different women to bed, and she had never once complained about it.

"I am interested because if Karrin Murphy decides to stab you through your demonic heart with a Holy Sword of Power like Fidelacchius you will die!" Ivy whispered. "As the Archive I am not allowed to protect my stupid bodyguard from one of his jilted lovers!"

When Jesus of Nazareth was crucified by the Romans they had used three nails to pin him to the cross. These nails were used in turn by the Catholic Church to create three swords which had been wielded by the three Knights of the Cross for nearly two thousand years. The swords could deflect the deadliest of curses, and they capable of killing not only minor demons like Kincaid but even the legendary Outsiders that existed far beyond the Sidhe Realms of Nevernever.

"I hope you aren't this clueless when you are dealing with that idiot over there," an amused Kincaid said as he started up the stairs. "Trust me, I can deal with Karrin even if she is armed with Fidelacchius. Now what about the Healer?"

"She will be here within the hour," Ivy replied. "The procedure to remove the Memory Charms should take no more than ninety minutes. After a good night's sleep I will tear down the villa's wards in the morning, and then we will make our way back to London. You will stay here in Sydney to sell the house… and to eliminate the Healer. The witch is a well-known mercenary, and I will not give her an opportunity to sell my secrets to any of my supernatural enemies."

"I will make sure it looks likes a perfect accident to the Wardens and local law enforcement," Kincaid assured her.

"Yes, you always do."

* * *

Ivy had just three months left to convince Harry Potter to be the father of her children, and she decided that her best method of attack would be a World Tour. Up until now the boy's horizons had limited to Surrey, Hogwarts, and an old magical tent in the woods. She knew that Harry would love the idea of traveling, but there was a problem in the form of Philip and Kate Granger. They were furious with their daughter, and by extension with her best friend.

"I just can't believe that you violated us like this. Using a Memory Charm on anyone, let alone your own parents, goes against everything we ever taught you," Mrs Granger said for the third or fourth time.

This whole argument was ruining Ivy's well-planned itinerary, so she magically grabbed the Grangers and left them hanging a meter off the ground. "Have you ever heard of the Aborigines of Australia? Or perhaps the Native Americans of the United States, or the Jews of Europe, or the Tutsis of Rwanda?"

"Yes, we've heard of them," a terrified Mrs Granger replied. "They were all the victims of genocide."

"Yes they were, and genocide is exactly what Lord Voldemort had planned for both the muggleborn witches and wizards of the United Kingdom and their families. Hermione felt that saving your lives so important that she was willing to erase her own existence to protect you," Ivy explained. "You should be thanking your daughter, not condemning her."

Mr Granger could see that everyone in the room was scared of this strange teenage girl, but his curiosity got the best of him. "Who in the world are you?"

"I am child who never had a chance to know my own parents," Ivy replied. "So are you going to abandon your only child? Or are you going to take the second chance that fate has given you both?"

That night after another long trip through Nevernever their group—which now included Mr and Mrs Granger—arrived at Ivy's townhouse in London. "How many houses do you own?" Harry asked as they wandered through its many lavish rooms.

"A fair few," she replied. "Money has never really been a problem for my family. So have you decided if you want to come along with me on a journey?"

"What about Teddy?" an uncertain Harry asked.

"Kincaid should arrive in London in a few days. Between him, Andromeda, Queen Titania of Summer, and the heavy wards surrounding this house your godson will be perfectly safe until you get back."

"I don't think Mrs Tonks would mind spending some more time with Kincaid, but isn't he supposed to be your bodyguard?" Harry asked.

"If we are going to take this journey it will just be the two of us."

"Ivy, I'm still not sure about... you know," the boy admitted.

"That is why it is a good idea for us to spend some time together, so we can find out one way or another if we are truly compatible," Ivy explained. "Plus you really do need a vacation. After all, you did die just a week ago."

"What about Hermione and Ron?"

"You have seen the way they have been looking at each other. Do you really want to stay here and play the role of a third wheel? Or would you like to see the world?"

* * *

Harry Potter mysteriously disappeared from United Kingdom that night. However the _Daily Prophet_ was soon reporting sightings of him from across the globe, and always in the presence of a young blonde muggle. One week he was meeting with the Magical President of Peru, the next week he was seen in the company of Japan's most brilliant magical scholars, and the week after that having dinner with the wealthiest exporter of potion ingredients in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

That summer was a revelation for the young wizard. Ivy would teach him anything he wanted to know about any subject he could think of. It was a source of great embarrassment, but this education started out with basic grooming. Ivy was always perfectly presentable, and Harry was tired of looking like a vagabond. She patiently taught him how to shave with a straight razor, how to perform a proper manicure, and most importantly how to tame his unruly mop of black hair.

Then they moved on to clothes. Ivy never wore anything that wasn't custom-tailored and made of the finest materials available. After years of wearing his cousin's disgusting hand-me-downs, Harry quickly adjusted to his new and very stylish wardrobe. He particular enjoyed throwing away all of Dudley's heavily stained tighty-whities, and changing over to silk boxers.

During this ongoing educational process Ivy would lead him through Nevernever to a new country or even a new continent every morning. After settling in at a secure safe house they would seek out the most powerful and influential wizards and witch in each country. Thanks to the knowledge of the Archive she knew the names and address of all these individuals, and it was surprising to Harry how few of them held an official government post.

"Who had more power in the United Kingdom: Cornelius Fudge the Minister of Magic or Lucius Malfoy the private citizen?" Ivy asked when he questioned her about it.

"Definitely Lucius Malfoy."

"Don't misunderstand me. Governments, both magical and mortal, have a great deal of real power," Ivy told him. "But they rarely have a monopoly on it. That is why I am introducing you to so many business wizards and scholars."

These meetings were always very taxing for Harry, but having Ivy at his side made it easier. She always made a brilliant observation or shared a tasty bit of gossip at just the right moment. After a month or two of practice Harry even developed a bit of charm during these many social engagements. All he had to do was be the Boy-Who-Lived: the young wizard who had twice survived the Killing Curse, and rid the world of that monster, Lord Voldemort.

Despite the constant sightseeing and politicking Harry didn't neglect his combat training. Ivy was a harsh teacher, and as always her knowledge was unmatched by anyone else in the world. Even with the Elder Wand he barely survived these brutal sessions, but his skill as a duelist was increasing at a rapid pace.

"You can't know all this stuff just from books," Harry said one day as he collapsed on the floor of ballroom in the Archive's Buenos Aires hacienda.

"That is an excellent observation," a distant Ivy replied. "In truth I come from a long line of witches."

"You mean your family had witches like Hermione and Mrs Tonks? I thought you said a person either had internal magic or else they are true wizards."

"That is the case for ninety-nine point nine percent of all magical practitioners, but thanks to generations of selective breeding my family had managed to combine the two different talents. Unfortunately thanks to my mother's stupidity I am now what you would refer to as a squib."

"What happened?" Harry asked softly.

"When she was my age my mother had still hadn't inherited her birthright from my grandmother. She hated the thought of becoming the Archive, and decided to rebel by running away. Soon afterwards she become pregnant with me. Instead of being a wizard like you, my father was some useless artist living in San Francisco, and his inferior genes left me without any internal magic. This personal weakness enabled a group of demons called the Denarians to capture and torture me several years ago. That is why it is so important to me that our daughter be a witch. "

"What happened to your mother? Why isn't she the Archive instead of you?"

"Unlike your mother Lily who sacrificed her own life because she loved you, my mother committed suicide because she hated me. I was going to have the life of freedom she wanted but could no longer have. So she cursed me with the knowledge of the Archive just a few hours after I was born."

Harry thought back to that long walk he had taken through the Forbidden Forest when he expected to die at Voldemort's hands. Like him, Ivy had been forced to suffer her entire life because of a great and terrible destiny she had never asked for. Despite being exhausted and covered with sweat he got up off the floor and wrapped her in a gentle hug.

Harry was just about to move in for a kiss when Ivy suddenly started swearing a blue streak. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Minister Shacklebolt had just signed a warrant for your arrest."


	4. Chapter 4

"An arrest warrant?" a stunned Harry asked as he pulled away from their embrace. "You're the Archive, why didn't you know about this earlier?"

"I did know about the warrant itself—you are being charged with sedition by the way—but I didn't think that Shacklebolt would sign it so quickly," Ivy explained. "I figured he would wait at least another month or two."

"But you did know the Ministry of Magic was going to turn on me again, and that Kingsley was willing to go along with it?"

"Not only did I know it was going to happen, I was planning on it," Ivy replied. "The war you just fought did little to damage the pureblood power structure in the United Kingdom. In fact by removing Voldemort, who was very unpopular and quite possibly insane, you probably strengthened their overall position. Since you are Dumbledore's heir apparent it was only a matter of time until they moved against you."

"This whole trip, meeting with all these foreign leaders, was about undercutting Kingsley's stature as the Minister of Magic and forcing him to go over to the purebloods," Harry reasoned.

"Yes, and it worked. It wasn't difficult to arrange considering that he despises you." Sensing how angry the boy was she added: "I promised that I would never lie to you, but that does not mean I've told you about all of my plans for the future."

"Well that is going to stop right now. Tell me everything about your little schemes or I leaving," Harry snarled. "It's obvious you want me to replace Kingsley as the Minister of Magic despite my young age. What are your plans once I'm in power?"

"Stop being so provincial. Tying you down to the British Ministry of Magic would be a waste of time and resources," Ivy replied. "My aim is for you to become the Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards."

"You honestly want me to become the dictator of the entire magical world!"

"Not the entire magical world, just your special corner of it."

"Why?" Harry demanded.

Ivy turned away from him for several minutes as she weighed her options. "Very well. I have told you before about the White Council, but what I haven't told you about is the Black Council. This organization is very secretive, and it is difficult even for me to be certain of the identities of its members or their ultimate goals. However from what I and others have been able to deduce, those goals will be disastrous for the world as we know it."

"So the true wizards have their own Dark Lords as well," Harry said with some satisfaction. From what Ivy had told him about the members of the White Council they sounded as if they combined the worst traits of Cornelius Fudge, Dolores Umbridge, and Albus Dumbledore while having more raw magical power than Voldemort ever dreamed of. He was glad they had some weaknesses.

Ivy shook her head. "No you don't understand. Lord Voldemort's aim was to rule as tyrant, and he wanted to remake the world according to his own twisted ideology. This Black Council appears to be working towards an Apocalypse."

That revelation caught Harry off-guard. "An Apocalypse? As in the end of the world? That is completely insane."

"Yes, it is," Ivy agreed. "Which is why I have been so willing to bend the rules which have constrained the Archive for the past five thousand years. This mysterious Black Council has already managed to destroy the Red Court of Vampires, and they have decimated the Wardens of the White Council at the same time. And they have managed to do this without exposing themselves."

"Wait a minute. You told me that there was a big war between Red Court and the White Council, but you didn't mention anything about a Black Council at the time."

"Several years ago a young and rather hotheaded true wizard named Harry Dresden was goaded into killing an important noblewoman of the Red Court despite the treaty which existed between the vampires and the White Council. I have met Dresden on several occasions, and I'm certain he never would have deliberately started a war of this magnitude."

"So you believe the confrontation was a secret plot by this Black Council?" Harry asked. "Do you or this Dresden guy have any proof of that?"

"No," Ivy admitted. "As I have said they cover their tracks very well, but the circumstantial evidence of their involvement is overwhelming. The vampires of the Red Court had survived for thousands of years by being intelligent and very cautious, yet at times during this war they committed acts that could only be described as suicidal. At the same time the White Council was betrayed by several of its own members—something which hasn't occurred since the time of the original Merlin himself."

"Well was it really such a bad thing that these evil vampires were wiped out?" Harry asked. "From your descriptions they sounded like grotesque overgrown bats that only looked like humans on the outside."

"A rancher views his livestock as nothing more than potential food, yet what action would he take if a stranger started killing that livestock?"

"The rancher would protect his herd, and maybe even try to kill the stranger," Harry replied to Ivy's non sequitur. It took him a good minute to figure out what her bizarre analogy meant. "So you think that if the Black Council is really a threat to human civilization then the Red Court vampires would have fought back against them to protect its food supply from destruction."

"Exactly," Ivy said. "The Black Council stage-managed an entire war to eliminate one of their potential enemies, and used that war to kill well over half of the White Council's most powerful and experienced Wardens. Again without risking any of their own members or resources."

"And at some point they are going to come for us," Harry said as he plopped back down on the ballroom floor. "That is why you want me to become the Supreme Mugwump. So I can prepare for a war that only you and a few others even know is coming."

"Your people are a low priority target, but at some point the Black Council will want them out of the way," Ivy explained as she sat down on the floor beside him. "As you can see, I have valid reasons for everything that I am doing."

"Maybe," Harry allowed. "Let's say that everything you told me is true. How does my being arrested by the Ministry of Magic help us with our goals?"

When Ivy heard the adjective "our" she couldn't help but smile. "When we return home I think we should invite Teddy's godmother Queen Titania over for a visit. I think she would be very interested in learning about Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare."

"You want to invite the scary but gorgeous Sidhe Queen over for a spot of tea... so we can talk about Hermione's SPEW?"

* * *

After their return to London Harry and Ivy met with Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Luna at Grimmauld Place to discuss the current situation at the Ministry of Magic. It turned out that Neville was their best source of information since his grandmother had been reinstated to her old seat in the Wizengamot.

"Dumbledore was always Shacklebolt's most important political patron, and the Headmaster has been dead for over a year now," the Longbottom heir explained. "If the Minister wanted to survive politically he had to make a deal with the pureblood faction left over from Voldemort's regime. Plus there are a lot of strange and disturbing rumors floating around about you and your new girlfriend."

While Harry trusted Neville with his life, Ivy had refused to let the wizard know about her status as the Archive. He was under the impression that she was a muggle.

"What kind of rumors are you talking about?" Harry asked.

"That you attacked Gringotts, and killed Ragnok for being a supporter of Voldemort. And that Ivy is helping you gather international support to overthrow the Minister," Luna offered. "No one knows who she is, and given how insular we are here in Britain your new relationship with her is making the average wizard on the street very nervous. Not that it is any of their business."

"Has everyone conveniently forgotten that I killed the You-Know-Who?" Harry muttered. "Does Kingsley really have the votes needed to convict me?"

"Well, you have broken a lot laws over the years, so on the charge of sedition it looks like you will be convicted by a very narrow margin," Neville admitted. "That is why the purebloods of the Wizengamot want to have a trial now, before anyone starts calling for new elections which will leave them outnumbered."

On that sour note Ron and Neville headed back to the Minstry since they both in training to become Aurors. Ivy insisted that Luna accompany them back to her townhouse so that she could meet their good friend Titania. Harry started to ask his "girlfriend" what she was thinking when Ivy silenced him with wink. He realized that something unusual was going on an hour later when Luna spontaneously rushed into the Queen's waiting arms as they were introduce.

When they sat down for tea, Harry dutifully asked Hermione to tell them a little about SPEW and that was all the girl needed. Like one of those cranks at Speaker's Corner in Hyde Park, she quickly began a passionate speech about her beloved house-elves. At some point she forgot that anyone else was in the room, which was a good thing since Mrs Tonks could barely keep a straight face.

"I have personally met over thirty-seven different species of elves, and none of them were ever referred to as a house-elf," Titania remarked as she ran her hands through Luna's long blonde hair. "Do you have access to one, so that I may properly scrutinize it?"

"Kreacher is currently living at Grimmauld Place here in London, but I don't know if he could pass through the wards around this place without being killed," Harry told her.

Ivy closed her eyes for a moment as she adjusted the house's many magical defenses. "Try calling for him now."

"Kreacher!"

The crotchety old house-elf appeared at once. "Yes, my filthy half-blood master?"

Titania began to laugh when she saw him. "Ivy, you really are full of the most wonderful surprises. Who else could find me a spellbound dark-elf? I heard stories about their downfall, but the villains who cursed these poor creatures were clever enough to hide their crime even from the Sidhe."

"Do mean that a house-elf really isn't a house-elf? What exactly is a dark-elf? Is there anyway to reverse this curse they are suffering under?"

Hermione asked these questions without drawing a single breath. Queen Titania wasn't impressed with her manners, and shot the girl a withering glance.

"Sorry, your Majesty."

"Dark-elves were gifted but violent warriors, and they are all but extinct even in the vast and endless realms of Nevernever. A thousand years ago it was rumored that two wizards and two witches captured a number of them, and somehow magically enslaved them before vanishing."

"I guess we know now why there is nothing about house-elves in _Hogwarts: A History_, don't we Hermione," Harry said with a grin. "I wonder which one of the Founders came up with the idea of using them as slave labor to build Hogwarts? It was probably Helga Hufflepuff. Her portraits always remind me of Umbridge."

Titania turned to face Kreacher. "You don't remember your true origins, do you? They tainted your minds as well as your bodies."

"Dark-elf? Kreacher knows words, but he can not remember."

""I will do anything it takes to correct this historical injustice. Is there any way you can help me?" Hermione asked Queen Titania.

Kincaid suddenly stepped forward. "You stupid little girl. You never ask a Sidhe for a favor. Never, not even if your life depends on it!" he snarled.

"My dear Hellhound, you have spent too much time dealing with my malevolent counterpart Queen Mab," Titania said as an ancient scroll materialized on the dining room table. "The child wishes to free the dark-elves, and I am inclined to help her without asking for anything in return. That is if she is willing to pay the price that their freedom requires."

"What price?" a frightened Hermione asked. Being caught between a Sidhe and Jared Kincaid was enough to terrify anyone.

"I am not entire certain, since it varies from person to person. I only know that the price is always a terrible one, and you must pay it. Or perish," a gleeful Titania explained.

"She is telling you the truth," Ivy assured them. "As a Sidhe the Queen can not lie to a mortal under any circumstance. The ritual this scroll describes will free the house-elves from slavery, but it will also extract a price you will have no choice but to pay."

At this point Harry began shouting, but Hermione never once took her eyes off the scroll on the table. "I do it," she declared over the protests of her best friend.

The ritual itself was thousands of years old, but the instructions were straightforward enough once Ivy translated the Akkadian script. Since the house-elves had been bound to slavery all at once it was possible to free them by breaking the magical bindings of just one. Titania drafted Kreacher, who was still confused as to what was going on. The words "dark-elf" obliviously had some meaning for him, but the knowledge was locked away beyond his reach.

Once a complex spell circle was drawn on the floor Hermione began chanting. Kreacher immediately fell to the floor screaming, and his muscles spasmed with wave after wave of pain. Slowly his body began to lengthen, his sparse hair began to grow, and his skin began to turn a dark purplish color.

"What is happening to him?" Harry asked. "Tell me or I am going to stop this bloody ritual right now."

"If you do, it will kill them both," Titania pointed out.

After an hour the transformation was complete. Kreacher now stood a bit over one-hundred and sixty centimeters tall, and his long white hair reached over his pointed ears and fell far down his back. His skin was a unique color half way between purple and black, but it was his face that had changed the most. The old elf was now undeniably beautiful.

"On behalf of my fellow dark-elves I give you thanks Hermione Granger," Kreacher said in a clear voice which was now full of strength and intelligence. "I must go now to collect a gift worthy of our joining ceremony." With that he disappeared into the shadows.

"I know I am not going to like the answer, but what exactly is this joining ceremony Kreacher was talking about?" Harry asked as he went over to hug his bewildered friend.

"I believe you mortals would refer to it as a wedding, but it superfluous now," Titania informed him. "Their souls have already been joined together... for all of time."

* * *

That night a reign of terror was unleashed on great magical estates of Western Europe. An army of dark-elves had been reborn, and they had a thousand years worth of grievances to share with their former masters. Kreacher's people were violent by nature, and they were deadly warriors even when armed with nothing more than kitchen knives. By dawn the vital heart of the pureblood movement had been ripped out and destroyed forever.

The aftershocks of the "Great House-Elf Massacre" were felt for weeks. Half of the magical governments in Europe fell thanks to the deaths of their various leaders, and in Britain itself the Wizengamot could not even muster a simple quorum. Added to this was the chaos unleashed on the magical economy after the loss of so many wealthy business wizards. Only decisive action by the goblins of Gringotts kept the shops open and galleons flowing.

Lord Kreacher—who had been chosen as the leader of the dark-elves thanks to his role in the ritual of rebirth—was unrepentant. "The fools reaped what they sowed."

He was also disappointed that Hermione had rejected his gift. Breaking into Azkaban and gathering the three skulls of the Malfoys had taken a great deal of time and effort of his part.

"I believe the term you are looking for is karma," Ivy offered.

She too was unrepentant; according to her the plan had worked out perfectly. Shacklebolt had been sacked as the Minister of Magic, and was replaced by Arthur Weasley. The warrant for Harry's arrest had quietly been rescinded the next day.

The Boy-Who-Lived just glared at Ivy as he tried to comfort a still-crying Hermione. She hadn't taken the news of her soul bond with Kreacher well, although Harry had caught her looking at the very attractive elf once or twice. "Too many students from Hogwarts know about the existence of SPEW. Sooner or later someone is going to make the connection, and then Hermione will have to face hundreds of angry relatives out for revenge."

"No one shall harm my soul mate," Kreacher declared, a statement which only made Hermione cry harder.

"I think it would be an excellent idea for the dark-elves to return with me to Nevernever," Queen Titania said. She had remained at Ivy's London townhouse to watch the disaster unfold, and Luna had never once left her side. "Luna and Hermione will be perfectly safe under my protection."

"Why are you so interested in Luna?" Harry asked in a harsh voice.

Ivy knew she had pushed her boyfriend to his breaking point, so she quickly answered his question before the Queen could respond. "Luna has ancient Sidhe blood flowing in her veins from both sides of her family. It is Titania's wish that she join the Sidhe of Summer."

"But that is impossible. She is a human being," Hermione said after blowing her runny noise.

"This child is still young enough and powerful enough to choose to become one of us thanks to her heritage," Titania informed them.

Harry jumped to his feet. "Luna, please don't do this until..."

"Silence!" Titania thundered. "Boy if you attempt to interfere in the affairs of the Sidhe again not even the protection of the Archive will prevent your death."

"It's all right Harry. I have been confused about everything my entire life, but now standing at my Queen's side it is all so perfectly clear," Luna said softly as she held on to Titania. "With the Sidhe I will finally have a place where I belong. Plus they have a huge flock of heliopaths at the Palace."

Even being an emotional wreck couldn't suppress Hermione's curiosity. The prospect of witnessing Luna's transformation into a Sidhe and seeing the Palace of Summer proved too much for her, and she agreed to accompany Kreacher and the dark-elves to Nevernever.

"I can't stay here in Britain because you were right: someone will remember SPEW and I will end up being tossed through the Veil immediately without a trial. Plus if the dark-elves don't leave Europe soon who knows how many wizards and witches they might slaughter out of a misguided sense of justice."

"You aren't taking this soul bond nonsense with Kreacher seriously, are you?" Harry asked.

"I would be lying if I told you I didn't feel some sort of connection with him. And he is kind of cute now."

"What about Ron?"

"I sorry, but I just can't deal with his jealousy right now," Hermione whispered. "Just tell him I will be back when this mess with the elves resolves itself one way or another."

It took the dark-elf horde several hours to pass through the portal to Nevernever. After Lord Kreacher and Hermione followed them Titania and her new protégé were free to close the opening. It pained Harry to admit it, but he had never seen Luna look happier as she passed out of sight. Once the magic dispersed Mrs Tonks gathered Teddy in her arms, and lead Kincaid out of the room. She knew perfectly well that a huge row was about to start.

"Just invite Titania over for a spot of Tea," Harry muttered. "You knew what would happen if she was ever in the same room as Luna and Hermione. As the Archive you knew that Luna had powerful Sidhe ancestors, and you knew Hermione would jump at a chance to free the house-elves using that ritual, no matter what the cost. And let's not forget that a few hundred wizards and witches were killed because of your scheme."

"The dark-elves caused those deaths, not me," Ivy replied.

"I am not in the mood to play word games with you!"

"And I am not in the mood to listen to your pathetic teenage prattle."

"I am older than you are Ivy," Harry shot back.

"And exactly how old do you think am I?" Ivay asked in quiet but dangerous voice.

"You are sixteen."

"You could not be more wrong. Thanks to the Archive I am thousands of years old, and in those thousands of years I have seen things you would not believe Harry Potter. Children burned alive by their own parents as sacrifices to some petty wizard masquerading as a god. Entire civilizations annihilated for no other reason than the pleasure a psychopath took from the slight of the endless rivers of blood. That is the kind of barbarism we will be facing again if the Black Council comes to power."

"So this looming threat justifies tricking Hermione into a soul bond with Kreacher, and turning Luna into one of those inhuman monsters? And the massacre of all those pureblood families?"

"You know that it does. You are just too much of a coward to admit it to yourself," Ivy snapped. "I thought that after defeating Voldemort you were strong enough to become the consort of the Archive. That you were strong enough to face this coming war at my side. Was I right, or was I wrong?"

Standing there for several long minutes Harry tried to imagine leaving Ivy and the new life she was offering him, but he just couldn't do it. The girl had enough magical strength to crush a Dark Lord like a cockroach, and Harry was certain he would need that kind of strength in the future. Her vast knowledge and vast wealth were also attractive traits in a potential wife. But in the end none of that really matter. What matter was that she wanted him, and he wanted her. How could he throw all that away?

"You were right. Let's make it official."


	5. Chapter 5

Much to Harry's surprise Ivy actually said yes to his impromptu marriage proposal, but insisted on putting off the wedding itself until the fall equinox, which was still a month away. After a day of strategizing they soon began making trips with Kincaid deep into Nevernever, and then to various spots around the globe. Most brides want their weddings to be unique, but even Mrs Tonks thought that Ivy was going a bit overboard.

That September Harry asked the new Minister of Magic to appoint him as Britain's ambassador to the International Confederation of Wizards. After the deaths caused first by Voldemort's war and then by the Dark-elf Massacre, the Boy-Who-Lived was the most famous and respected wizard left alive in the country. Arthur Weasley reluctantly agreed to this idea—mostly to keep his only daughter Ginny from doing something rash to her ex-boyfriend and his new fiancée.

In was during those first few weeks living in Switzerland that Harry began noticing some very odd things about Ivy that he overlooked during their travels together during the summer. As the Archive she had no reason to read anything and she never did: not a single book, newspaper, or even the handbills which people stapled to walls in any major city. The only time she held a piece of paper in her hands is when she was writing a letter to one of her many lawyers. Or when she was working on some random mathematical equation, a hobby which she found very relaxing.

Ivy had no tolerance for films or television either. She explained that by the time any film was released its script had gone through dozens of drafts. Added to this was the endless notes written by the director, the producer, the studio executives, and the actors themselves. Attempting to sort through the highly irrational creative process of the entertainment industry only gave her a massive headache. She had more patience for music, but only if it was performed live with plenty of interesting variations and mistakes by the performers.

This shortage of leisure options led Harry to suggest dancing. The ICW was located in the middle of Switzerland, so the pair hopped through Nevernever to various dance clubs in Zürich, Geneva, Munich, and Milan. Up until this point in her life Ivy had kept up a simple daily routine of grooming, cooking, eating, and exercising. These activities were all physical in nature, and they allowed to her to block out the deafening roar of the Archive itself for short periods of time. The girl quickly came to love dancing for the same reason.

The constant touching on the dance floor had other positive side-effects. The two teenagers quickly progressed to kissing, then to heavy petting, and finally to sex itself. Even with all the information the Archive provided her about the subject of sexual intercourse, the overwhelming sensuality of act itself was still a revelation. Nothing else in Ivy's short life had given her such relief from constant turmoil she was always experiencing inside of her mind.

"I glad we didn't have to wait until our wedding night," a sweaty and exhausted Harry commented one morning. Their new sex life was so intense that they both resorted to magic to deal with skin inflammations and muscle soreness.

"So am I," Ivy admitted as she ran her hands through his messy black hair. "Are you sure you are ready for today's meeting with all the old dinosaurs?"

Even with all the advantages of the Archive, the young couple knew that rising to the position of Supreme Mugwump would some take time, given how much older the other ambassadors were. Right now Harry was focusing on making a good impression with his colleagues. Between the Elder Wand, Ivy's training, and his own natural magical strength he was already one of the most powerful wizards in the world, and as Dumbledore had shown that was a great advantage in magical politics.

"Yes, I'm ready," he replied. "With all the insider information you are providing me everyone is already half-convinced that I'm some sort of political prodigy. They are also convinced that the current Supreme Mugwump is a weakling. That idiot reminds me too much of Cornelius Fudge."

"Good. When the inevitable crisis comes they will turn on the fool just like your fellow countrymen turned on Fudge," Ivy explained. "Then the will be looking for a savior, and who better to serve in that role than the great Boy-Who-Lived-Twice?"

"That sounds good in theory, but I doubt it will be that easy," Harry replied as he stood up and began making his way to the shower. Ivy was just a few steps behind him. Bathing together was another new physical diversion she had quickly come to enjoy.

* * *

The happy couple was having a delightful lunch at a bistro in Marseilles when the other Harry finally found them. Ivy had warned her fiancé, but it was still something of a shock for the teenager to meet Harry Dresden in the flesh. First of all the true wizard was freakishly tall and hadn't shaved in days. He sort of smell too. Then there was the matter of his ridiculous black leather trench coat—it look like something the late Severus Snape would have had a wet dream about. To top it all off he was carrying a one and a half meter long wooden staff covered with glowing runes right in the middle of a huge city full of muggles.

"Ivy, what in the world were you thinking getting involved with one of these little clowns?" Dresden said as he planted his fist on the table and loomed over them. "They are notorious for using mind magic on everyone they meet. It's like their day isn't complete unless they have broken both the Third and Forth Laws of Magic."

"It is nice you see you among the living again Mr Dresden," Ivy said calmly. "Please allow me to introduce you to my fiancé, Harry James Potter."

"Ivy has told me so much about you," Harry said as he politely held out his hand.

Dresden ignored him. "I don't know what the hell Kincaid was thinking letting this whole wedding nonsense progress this far, but you have to put it on hold until I have properly checked out this punk. Mab agrees with me that you are too important to be taking unnecessary risks like this."

"So, it was the Queen of Winter who told you where to find us," Ivy reasoned. "I take it that despite your recent death and resurrection you are still the Winter Knight?"

While the Sidhe Queens of Winter and Summer were incredible powerful, neither they nor their Ladies were able to directly kill a mortal. Yes, the Sidhe were free to magically torture anyone who displeased them, but they were not allowed to take a life. To deal with minor weakness the Queens granted one mortal—the Winter or Summer Knight—a portion of their magic. These Knights in turned acted as the Sidhe Queens' personal representatives on Earth if they wanted a troublemaker killed or some other message sent. In order to save his daughter Maggie, Harry Dresden had agreed to serve as the Winter Knight last year.

"Yes, I am still the Winter Knight." Dresden admitted. "My vacation in the afterlife wasn't enough of a reason for Mab to release me from my oath of service."

"And to be perfectly clear, it is both you and Queen Mab who are objecting to my upcoming nuptials?" Ivy asked as she causally raised a perfect veil around their table.

Dresden was no genius, but even he was smart enough to notice the dangerous undertones in that question. "Listen, you are my friend and I care about your happiness. I just don't want to see you get hurt again, especially by some limey loser like him."

"This is ridiculous. I may have only known Ivy for the short time, but I already love her. The last thing in the world I would want to do is hurt her," Harry explained

"Boy, I don't remember asking you a damn thing," Dresden growled.

"You know Mr Dresden, I was having second thoughts about my current course of action. But not anymore," Ivy said as she gestured towards the true wizard's staff. It immediately turned to dust, as did the short wand he had in his coat and odd bracelet he was wearing.

"Hey, what do you think you are doing?" Dresden yelled. "You just destroyed my blasting rod and shield bracelet!"

"We are all going to take a little trip," Ivy said as she reached down to the ground and touched it with her index finger.

All three of them (along with the bistro's table and chairs) immediately fell through a portal which suddenly opened underneath them. They soared through the air for several seconds before crashing violently into a grass field. An odd group of people was waiting for them in this unfamiliar mountain valley. The first one to reach them was as old man wearing denim overalls and a white short-sleeved shirt. He was carrying a staff what was almost identical to the one Ivy had just destroyed, and he used it to magically pin Dresden to the ground.

"Sorry about this Hoss, but it has to be done."

"Where the hell are we Ebenezer, and what has to be done?"

"We are in Norway," another old man who was wearing an eye patch replied. He was even taller than Dresden, and had massive arms and shoulders to boot. "The Archive brought you here so we could stage an intervention, as the mortals are calling it nowadays."

"An intervention? That doesn't sound too bad."

Queen Titania leaned over the trapped wizard and smiled. "I afraid this is going to be very unpleasant for you Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden. The pain you will experience will be worse than anything you have ever known, even when your hand was burnt to a crisp by that Black Court vampire. It is a small price to pay, considering the fact that you murdered my daughter Aurora."

"Titania!" the one-eyed giant snapped. "I agreed that this must be done, but I will not stand here and allow you to taunt the man."

"I sorry Hoss, but she is right. This is going to hurt like hell," Ebenezer said as the three powerful figures gathered around the immobilized Dresden.

Ivy led Harry off so that they could talk to his two friends, who had also been waiting for them to arrive. Hermione was dressed in an outfit of dark green leathers, and Harry had to admit she looked good. However seeing the new and improved Luna left him with an uneasy feeling. She was still the odd Ravenclaw he had come to love, but at the same time she was completely different. As a Sidhe her long blonde hair had turned completely white, and she had grown over thirty centimeters in just a few weeks. Her face was still had the same shape and lines as before, yet it was now impossible beautiful. To top it all of her large gray eyes had vertical pupils similar to those of a cat. Of course none of these unnatural alterations stopped Harry from giving her a fierce hug.

"I know who Queen Titania is, but who are the other two?" he asked while hugging Hermione.

"The one in the overalls is Ebenezer McCoy," Ivy told them. "Depending on who you ask he is either the second or third most powerful true wizard on the White Council."

"And the one with the eye patch is Odin." Luna added.

"Odin? As in the All-Father of the Norse Gods?"

"Yes. Isn't it amazing?" Hermione squealed.

"I take it you are adjusting well to your new life in Nevernever?" Ivy asked the no longer bushy-haired witch. Along with her new outfit Hermione was sporting a new hairstyle of elegant braids.

"I use to think that Hogwarts was fascinating, but compared to Nevernever it is laughably humdrum. A scholar could spend a hundred years studying the lands of the Sidhe and never even scratch the surface."

"Are you two ready for what is about to happen to Dresden?" a concerned Harry asked.

"It is a great tragedy, but Titania assures us that it needs to be done for the good of all the Sidhe," Luna told him.

Suddenly they all heard a terrible scream, and turned to watch. Queen Titania and the true wizard Ebenezer McCoy were standing on either side of Dresden, and they were using their magic to hold him upright. At the same time Odin had his entire hand _**inside**_ of Dresden's chest. There wasn't any blood, but that didn't stop the younger man from screaming. After a minute or two Odin finally withdrew his hand. In it was a strange orb of magical light which was constantly pulsating with a hundred different shades of blue.

"What the hell is that thing?" an amazed Harry asked.

"That is the living Mantle of the Winter Knight," Ivy told them. "This situation is certainly going to attract Mab's attention."

True enough. Only a few seconds later a deafening clap of thunder rocked the entire valley, and two more of the Sidhe appeared along with a blast of frigid air. One of them was actually a redhead, but she looked absolutely nothing like any of the Weasleys. The other could have been Titania's twin expect for her bluish coloring. While the redhead looked calm, the other looked insane with rage. She had to Queen Mab of Winter.

"YOU DARE DEFY THE WILL OF THE QUEEN OF AIR AND DARKNESS?" Mab screamed, and the power of her words alone was enough to send them flying to the ground. Harry noted with horror that their ears were bleeding—even Ivy's.

"I not letting my boy wear the leash of a mad bitch like you," Ebenezer snarled as a second black staff magically appeared in his other hand. "If you want him back, it will be over my dead body."

"AS YOU WISH!" Mab screamed.

Her attack was like will nothing Harry, Hermione, or Luna had ever experienced before. It was as if the power of an entire blizzard was condensed to a meter-wide stream of pure magical energy. The whole valley froze over in a matter of seconds, and they probably would have died from hypothermia if Ivy hadn't raised a shield to protect them.

But as powerful as Mab's attack was, Ebenezer's two staffs were able to counter it with a shield so bright it looked like a rising sun.

"Now Titania!" the old man yelled, and the Queen of Summer responded with a counterattack of her own. As quickly as the ice covering the valley had appeared, it suddenly disappeared as a massive wave of fire stuck the Queen of Winter.

Mab was somehow able to defend herself and continue her attack at the same time. But the strain was obvious as she dropped down on one knee. "Leanansidhe!" she called to the redheaded Sidhe in a more-normal voice. "Defend your Queen!"

This Leanansidhe person hesitated for a moment. "What of the Odin? This place is far too close to his place of power here on Midgard."

"As long as he holds the Mantle of the Winter Knight he can not harm you. Now kill the Blackstaff while I deal with my traitorous sister Titania," Mab said as she continued to simultaneously attack and defend herself against two powerful foes.

Reluctantly Leanansidhe raised her hands and gathered her magic. The moment she struck at Ebenezer Queen Titania smiled and called out: "Loose the arrows!"

All around them three hundred dark-elves rose up from beneath their perfectly camouflaged cloaks, and drew back on their powerful horn bows. Their arrows flew for less than a second before striking the two targets with barbed arrowheads made of cold iron, a substance which was poisonous to all the Sidhe. Harry had seen paintings of the execution of Saint Sebastian, but it was nothing compared to the horrific wounds the dark-elves inflicted on Mab and Leanansidhe.

At some point Dresden had regain consciousness, and he started to run to Leanansidhe's side when he saw her lying on the ground in agony.

"Hoss!" Ebenezer shouted. "Stand down!"

"Sir, Lea is my godmother!"

"Hoss, you may be tough, but you ain't as tough as me," the old man said quietly. "Now you stand down before I put you down."

"I must agree with the Blackstaff, Dresden can be so tiresome at times like this," a new voice said.

Even with a head full of multicolored dreadlocks it was clear she too was a Sidhe, although Harry had never seen one of them wearing a cutoff t-shirt with the words "Get a taste of religion, Lick a witch" written on it. She was standing next to Kincaid in front of a newly opened portal to Nevernever.

"Are any of the Sidhe ugly?" Harry wondered aloud as they watched the spectacle unfold.

"Nope," Luna informed him. "That is Maeve, the Winter Lady."

Queen Titania approached Maeve with a look of disgust on her face. "Are you prepared to go through with this?" she asked.

"We both know Mab is insane, and has been for several years. If the Sidhe are to survive both she and her handmaiden have to be put down just like your late daughter Aurora was," Maeve replied. She then glanced over at Leanansidhe and noticed that redhead was still moving. "Hellhound, if you would be so kind as to take care of her?"

Kincaid walked up to the terribly wounded Sidhe, and took out the shotgun he had strapped to his back. After a slight nod from Ivy he pumped seven shells full of cold iron buckshot into Leanansidhe's body until she stopped twitching. Dresden turned away and vomited.

"You traitor! It will take a thousand years before I am finished with your punishment," Mab hissed through a mouthful of blood.

"Blah-Blah-Blah," Maeve replied as she grabbed Leanansidhe's corpse by the foot and Mab by her long white hair. The young Sidhe then began dragging them through the portal to Nevernever.

Ivy took Harry by the hand, and they followed along with the others. This new valley held an ancient Stone Table at its center. According to Ivy this place was the center of power for both the Sidhe of Summer _**and**_ Winter.

With her superhuman strength Maeve threw both of her prisoners onto the Table. At the same time Odin sent the strange orb of blue energy flowing into its now-bloody surface. Amazingly Mab was still conscious despite the dozens of arrow piercing her body.

"You pathetic fool. You can not become the Queen of Winter without the consent of Mother Winter."

"Then it is a good thing Maeve has my consent," an old crone said from the other side of the Table. Harry had met her and the equally old hag standing at her side during one of Ivy's recent trips into Nevernever. The two were called Mother Winter and Mother Summer. According to legend they were the oldest and most powerful of all the Sidhe.

"Mab, you can not even control your own emotions, so how do you expect to command the forces of Winter?" Mother Winter asked mournfully. "You have allowed outsiders to strike at the very heart of our lands with impunity. Your magical blood must flow back to the Table so that Winter may have a new Queen."

"A better Queen. One who is free of your crippling madness," Maeve added.

"And a new Lady of Winter must be chosen along with a new Winter Knight," Titania said as she pushed Luna and Hermione forward towards the Stone Table.

"I will choose my own servants Titania," Maeve said with a contemptuous sneer.

"No, you will not," Mother Summer said quietly. "When the Lady Aurora was murdered by Harry Dresden the new Summer Lady Lily and her Knight Fix were chosen without consulting Queen Titania. You too will be denied that privilege, and you will humbly accept those that we have chosen for you."

Seeing that she was outnumbered, Maeve reluctantly nodded her head. She then grabbed Queen Mab by her long white hair and jammed a razor-sharp obsidian blade directly into her brain.


	6. Chapter 6

"I can't believe you dumped me for Kreacher," Ron muttered for the tenth time that hour. "He's a bloody purple elf!"

"Ronald, I had no choice in the matter," Hermione explained for the tenth time that hour. "Queen Titania tricked me into performing that ritual, and I had no idea beforehand of its consequences."

Since Kincaid was acting as the father of the bride and giving Ivy away at their upcoming wedding, Harry had been force to supply not only his best man but the maid of honor as well. Ron and Hermione were the obvious choices, but the subject of Kreacher was causing problems within the wedding party. If he didn't put a stop to their bickering soon the irritated bride was going to end up killing one of his best friends. Or maybe even both of them.

"Ron, it is a soul bond and she can't break it," Harry explained for the tenth time that hour. "And as for you Hermione Granger: stop pretending you aren't happy about this whole mess. I have seen how close you stand next to Kreacher, and the way you are always fixing your hair when he is around."

"I do not!"

"Yes, you do."

Ron buried his head in his hands. "Sweet Merlin, I could have died a happy wizard never knowing that Hermione enjoys flirting with Kreacher the bloody house-elf."

"He is not a house-elf anymore," the witch snapped as the temperature in their tiki hut suddenly fell by several degrees. "He is dark-elf, and don't you forget it."

"Hermione, get a hold of yourself," Harry said quietly. "You may have perfect control over your internal magic, but now you are the Winter Knight. You have to be more careful with your new abilities or someone might accidentally get killed. Someone like Ron, for instance."

"I am sorry," Hermione said as she closed her eyes. Slowly the temperature inside the hut returned to normal. "It's just that this Sidhe magic is so frustrating. There is no logic to it at all, and when I asked Queen Maeve for help she just laughed at me. I think she is hoping that this new magic kills me so she can pick her own Winter Knight after I'm dead."

"Don't worry about her," Harry assured her. "You were selected by Mother Winter herself, and there is nothing Queen Maeve can do to change that. Plus you have Lord Kreacher and his Drow Mercenaries protecting you wherever you go."

"I thought our lives were eventful before, dealing with Voldemort and all that. But then you had to go and fall in love with the strangest witch in the world," Ron said as he straightened-out his silk shirt.

"Sorry about that," Harry offered.

"We really should get out there," Hermione said. "Given the guest list it's only a matter of time before a fight breaks out, and a magical duel between some of them could easily destroy the island."

The trio gathered themselves together and walked out on to a picture-perfect tropical beach in the Batu Islands of Indonesia. Being the Archive made Ivy a unique individual, and she had certainly planned a unique wedding. This specific island was located directly on the Equator, and the wedding itself was being held on the fall equinox when the sun would be directly overhead. As a final touch she had shanghaied both the Queen Titania of Summer and Queen Maeve of Winter so that they could jointly conduct the ancient Vedic wedding ceremony. When Harry had asked her about it, she explained that the "symmetry" of it all appealed to her.

While Hermione went to join Ivy, Harry and Ron walked over to the altar where the two Queens were waiting for them. Titania and Maeve were eyeing each other with barely concealed hostility, so much so that Ron's fear temporarily overcame his hormones. Thanks to his fiancée Harry had developed a limited immunity to the effects of Sidhe's otherworldly beauty.

"I would just like to thank you both for agreeing to do this for Ivy," he told them.

"We own your future wife a debt, and the Sidhe always pay their debts," an amused Titania replied. "And to be honest I enjoy watching Maeve cower before the power of the Archive."

"I fear no mortal," the Winter Queen snapped.

"Liar. You saw how easily Ivy arranged the destruction of Mab, and you believe the child will do the same to you," Titania explained as an orchestra of one hundred dryads, naiads, and oreads began playing their various instruments along the edge of the beach.

Harry turned to look over the small crowd. He had sent invitations to the entire Weasley family, but he had never expected all of them to make the trip here by portkey. That included Bill, Fleur, and even Charlie. But the real shocker was Ginny, who had never looked more beautiful. Ron admitted that his little sister had spent weeks getting ready in an attempt to outshine Ivy, and it had worked. What the youngest Weasley hadn't counted on was the presence of the Sidhe and a White Court vampire who made the young redhead and every other woman at wedding look plain by comparison.

After a few minutes Ivy and Kincaid appeared. The bride had made only a token effort with her simple sundress and was wearing no make-up, but to her eager groom it didn't matter. Ivy's most striking feature had always been her pale blue eyes. At first Harry had found them strange and even a little frightening, but now they fascinated him with their endless depths. Kincaid had on a white silk shirt like the other men in the wedding party, but strapped over _his_ shirt was a dual shoulder holster which held two Glock handguns.

The ceremony itself was disturbing, and not just because of the role played by the Sidhe Queens. Harry could feel the currents of magic swirling around them. When they had finished the oaths of "total and unwavering devotion to each other" that magic suddenly entered their bodies. Ron had told Hermione and him about Unbreakable Vows once, and he had no doubt that the promises they had just exchanged were similar if not identical in nature.

"Normally at this point you would both disrobe, and the groom would take the bride's virginity so that the blood from her hymen could be offered to the appropriate gods," Titania explained. "But these two have already taken care of that little detail."

"You scarlet..." was as far as Molly Weasley got before the bride magically removed her tongue. The spell had been used extensively on slaves in several ancient cultures, most notably in Egypt.

"She might get it back if she behaves," Ivy informed the Weasleys as several of them reached for their wands. As a curse-breaker Bill had some idea of what the girl in front of them was capable of, and he quickly convinced his family members to put their wands away.

After that minor interruption the two kissed, the crowd clapped, and everyone quickly made their way towards the bar. The first group to offer their congratulations to the happy couple was an odd trio from the United States. Ivy leaned over and began whispering to her husband as they approached.

"The older man is John Marcone, one of the most powerful and dangerous criminals in North America. The huge male is a bodyguard, while the tall blonde woman is a Valkyrie who is going by the alias of Ms Gard."

"A real Valkyrie? Why does Odin allow one of his noble shieldmaidens consort with a common criminal?" Harry asked. Ms Gard winked at him from several meters away, an act which betrayed her supernatural origins.

"Trust me, Gentleman Johnny is a very uncommon criminal. As to Odin's ultimate motivations: they are a mystery even to me," Ivy answered truthfully.

Mr Marcone ignored this byplay as he studied the young couple with a pair of dull green eyes. The crime lord was intimidating, but again being around Ivy all the time had built up Harry's immunity to such things.

"It is very difficult to shop for someone of your stature Mrs Potter, but I believe I found you the perfect gift," Marcone said as he carefully handed Ivy a small metal box.

Ivy opened it and found an ancient silver coin inside. "Are you certain this is real?" she asked.

"Yes, it was authenticated by Ms Gard and her employer," Marcone replied. "I brought the coin from a corrupt Roman Catholic Cardinal in the Vatican, and was planning on encasing it with cement and dropping it in the Mariana Trench. I was curious though, can you actually destroy it?"

"I have spent the past several years pondering that very question, and I believe that I can. But I will need several weeks to prepare for the ritual. It is very complex."

Harry finally made the connection. "That is one of the silver coins of the Order of the Blacken Denarius? The same demons that captured and tortured you in Chicago?"

"That is correct Mr Potter, and those foul... things tortured me as well," Mr Marcone replied as he discreetly pointed his disfigured ear. "What better gift could I offer your new wife on her wedding day than a chance at revenge against one of her enemies?"

"Thank you John," a ginning Ivy said as she carefully closed the box. "Once I have succeeded I will return the broken shards of silver to you as a trophy."

"Then I wish you both every happiness," Marcone said. "Now with your permission Ms Gard will open a portal to Nevernever. I have pressing business I must attend to in Chicago."

* * *

"You are too short to be Teller, so you must be Penn."

"No my name is not Penn or Teller, it's Neville Longbottom. May I ask who you are?"

"Karrin Murphy," the tiny Knight of the Cross replied after finishing off her second Long Island Ice Tea. "Do you know the name of that bitch... sorry, that witch who is holding the little baby?"

"Her name is Andromeda Tonks."

"Great, not only is she tall and classically beautiful, but her name is Andromeda. No wonder Kincaid is screwing her," Murphy muttered. "Where is the father of her kid, and why does the little brat's hair keep changing color like that?

"Teddy is her grandson, and his hair changes color because he is a metamorphmagus like his late mother Nymphadora," Neville calmly explained. He didn't want this woman to turn her alcohol-fueled rage on him.

"She is a fucking grandmother and she still looks that good," Murphy complained as she used her thumb to expose a section of sword blade which was hidden inside of her polished walking stick.

"Is that an actual sword?"

"Yeah, it is," Murphy said as she pulled the blade free of it wooden sheath, an action which caused the strapping young man to flinch. "It's called Fidelacchius, and it won't bite you. Not unless I want it to."

"I'm sorry, it's just that I recently had a bad experience with a sword," Neville whispered. "I almost got myself killed."

"Tell me about it."

And he did.

* * *

"Excuse me, but can I have a word with you Mr Dresden? My name is Hermione Granger and this is Lord Kreacher."

"So you are the new Winter Knight? Have a seat," Dresden said as he pushed out one of the chairs at his table. He was still furious about Ivy's ambush and Leanansidhe's murder, but none of that was this girl's fault. The purple elf put him on edge, but it was clearly one of Maeve's servants and had just been obeying orders. "This is my apprentice Molly Carpenter, the dog's name is Mouse, and the butt-ugly one over there is Thomas Raith. "

"You are a true incubus?" Kreacher asked the ridiculously handsome Raith as he stood guard behind his soulmate's chair.

"The preferred term today is a White Court Vampire," Thomas replied. "I take it you are some kind of elf?"

"I am a dark-elf, and if you attempt to enchant my beloved I will not hesitate in killing you."

"Duly noted Evil Legolas."

Hermione noticed that this exchange seemed to anger Dresden for some reason, but she couldn't understand why he would want to protect a vampire. Maybe they were homosexual lovers. "I was wondering if you could tell me anything about being the Winter Knight. Any special powers or rules I should know about. I would be immensely appreciative for any help you could offer."

"Well, first of all you are now a lot more durable, and can take all kinds of punishment that would have knocked you on your ass before," Dresden explained. "You will also see a real increase in your level of physical endurance."

"I have already noticed that," the dark-elf supplied.

"Kreacher!" Hermione said as she blushed furiously.

"Wow, you Brits really are kinky," Molly Carpenter remarked.

"This is way too much information for me," Dresden said. "What kind of freezing spell do you wand-types use?"

"The Glacius," the still-blushing witch replied as she drew her cherished wand.

"Is that really a magical wand?" Molly asked.

"Yes, it is," an irritated Hermione replied. With her tattoos, long legs, and spectacular breasts it was easy for other women to dislike Dresden's beautiful blonde apprentice. "Would you like to see a demonstration of one of our spells?"

Molly nodded, and with a flick of Hermione's wrist the champagne glass in front of her was transfigured into a hissing king cobra.

"Holy shit!"

Dresden just rolled his eyes. "Calm down padawan. It's just an illusion. Watch this." With a wave of his hand the true wizard caused the cobra to change back into a champagne glass as his stronger magic disrupted the witch's spell.

"I will have you know that wasn't an illusion. I actually transfigured that glass into a cobra," Hermione huffed. "If took me six years to learn how to do that correctly without a verbal incantation."

"Bullshit, it was just an illusion," Dresden told her as he scratched Mouse's ears. "No human being has enough magical power or dexterity to rearrange matter on a molecular level."

"Are you always this rude?"

"Pretty much," Dresden replied. "Are you rich?"

"No," a peeved Hermione answered.

"Why not? If you or your friends could truly transfigure matter you should be able to create as much gold or silver or platinum as you wanted. Is that dress you are wearing transfigured?"

"No."

"That's because if you wore "transfigured" clothes the illusion might end at any moment and leave you butt naked," Dresden lectured. "Can you eat transfigured food?"

"No, I can not. Creating food is a violation of Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration," Hermione lectured right back.

"No it's because if you ate something that was "transfigured" it would revert to its true form in the middle of your intestines and kill you. All you are really doing is creating advanced three-dimensional illusions. You and the elf should head to Vegas. You could make a fortune putting on a show for the tourists."

"No they should head to Barcelona. I pay good money to see these two perform in front of a live audience," Thomas remarked.

"So would I," Molly added. "Elves are hot."

"You both have watched the _Lord of the Rings_ way too many times," Dresden said before turning to the new Winter Knight. "Alright little girl, show me your freezing charm."

"I show you my freezing charm you horse's ass!" Hermione snapped as she pointed her wand out at the ocean. "Glacius!" Her supercharged spell created an iceberg the size of a yacht, and caught the attention of whole party.

"Perhaps there is hope for you yet child," Queen Maeve said as she seductively sauntered over to their table. "I see that you have finally realized that emotions are the key to your new magic."

"Fuck off you psychotic bitch," Dresden snarled.

"Are you still upset about your poor little godmother?" Maeve asked with mock concern. "A quick death was really the best thing that could have happened to her."

"I going to rip your..."

"Harry, stop being such a hypocrite!" Thomas suddenly yelled. "Everyone who met Leanansidhe and Mab knew that they were both bat-shit crazy. Think of all the damage they might have caused the world if they hadn't been taken out."

Since Thomas Raith was Dresden half-brother the true wizard couldn't lash out at the vampire like he wanted to, so instead he tried to explain himself. "You weren't there. They cut them down like they were nothing more than a pair of dogs."

"They were a pair of dogs," Maeve remarked. "Rabid dogs."

Seeing no friendly faces in the crowd, Dresden grabbed his staff and began walking along the deserted beach away from the others. Only the huge dog Mouse followed.

* * *

"Did you ever think that Thomas would become the more mature of our two grandsons?" Queen Titania asked as she watched Dresden disappear out of sight.

"That vampire is relation of mine," Ebenezer growled. "And I want you to stop provoking Harry. Our boy has suffered too much these since he found out about his daughter."

"You were too harsh with Margaret, and now you are too lenient with this one," Titania pointed out. "Make up your mind wizard."

As product of a union between a Sidhe and a mortal, Harry Dresden's mother Margaret McCoy could have chosen to become either during her late adolescence. Unlike Luna she had rejected the option of becoming a Sidhe, and instead lived as a mortal.

However her father's harsh discipline drove her into the arms of the King of the White Court Vampires. She married and had a vampire son, Thomas. Later Margaret had come to recognize how cruel her new husband truly was, and had escaped. But there was no denying the White King his vengeance. Shortly after giving birth to her second son Harry Dresden, she was hunted down and killed by agents of the White Court.

"Thanks to Margaret's plotting our boy has a destiny I'm not sure anyone could handle," Ebenezer said as he watched the Weasley and Carpenter families dancing on the beach in the fading daylight. "And after what we did to his godmother I doubt if he will ever trust me again."

"The Black Council attempted to destroy the Sidhe by infecting our minds with some sort of magical insanity, and now their plot has finally been defeated. Dresden will come to see the wisdom of our actions soon enough," Titania offered.

"Are you sure the Black Council's scheme to weaken the Sidhe didn't actually work?" Ebenezer asked. "The new Winter Lady and Winter Knight don't exactly fill me with confidence. They are both too young and too inexperienced."

"Although she was raised as a mortal Luna Lovegood is everything a Sidhe should be, but what we no longer are. If anyone can inspire a reprobate like Maeve to become a proper Queen of Winter, it is her."

"What about that other slip of a girl? She is no one's idea of a fearsome Knight."

"When Hermione Granger was just fourteen she broke the Sixth Law of Magic right under the nose of the British Minister of Magic by using time travel to help a wanted criminal escape execution. When she was sixteen she used a curse to permanently disfigure the face of a classmate at Hogwarts. When she was seventeen she broke the Third Law of Magic by using a memory charm on her own parents. Currently she is the bonded mate of dark-elf who leads his own personal army," the Queen of Summer explained. "Trust me, Granger and Maeve will soon become the best of friends."

The old wizard couldn't stop himself from smiling as he listened to her cold-blooded speech. "You know Titania, you are still one hell of a lady."

"Aye Ebenezer McCoy, and you are still my man."

* * *

It was well after nightfall before Dresden finally made his way back to the party. "Where have you been all this time?" Murphy demanded when she finally saw him.

"Sorry, I just needed to clear my head. Is there something you want to talk about?" Dresden asked.

"Yes, there is. I think have found the third Knight of the Cross."


	7. Chapter 7

Several years ago Harry Dresden was almost captured by the Order of the Blackened Denarius. Their leader Nicodemus had planned on torturing the true wizard until he had either joined them or was dead. Shiro, a Knight of the Cross, had volunteered to take his place instead, and just before his death he had entrusted his sword Fidelacchius to Dresden until a worthy successor could be found. When second Knight Michal Carpenter had been crippled by several gunshot wounds, his sword Amoracchius was also given to Dresden for safekeeping. Last year Karrin Murphy had finally agreed to take up Fidelacchius, but that still left the Knights of the Cross one short of their normal three members.

"Karrin you can't seriously think that this kid is the third Knight," Dresden complained when he saw Neville Longbottom. "He's tall, but the kid still looks like he is about fifteen years old."

"I made sure he was eighteen."

When Murphy saw Dresden's arched eyebrow she added: "It is a wedding reception and I'm a single woman in my thirties who has just been dumped. It is my constitutional right to do something stupid like hit on a cute teenager. Besides who are you to criticize me? I've seen the way you ogle your apprentice's perky breasts."

"True enough. Now why do think he is the One?"

"First of all he recently used a sword to kill an evil snake..."

"Wow, that's really impressive," Dresden commented.

"...while he was actually on fire," the slightly smashed Murphy hissed. "Plus he is a direct descendent of King Alfred the Great, so he fits your stupid "a Knight of the Cross must have royal blood" rule. How did you pull that one out of your ass anyway? Never mind. Neville is six-foot four, and unlike you Mr Scarecrow he has the upper body strength to yield a broadsword like Amoracchius in battle. Best of all he is English."

"Yes, you have to love that English accent. Very sexy."

"Harry Dresden, I am being serious!" Murphy snapped. "You told me yourself that Amoracchius was once known as Excalibur. The kid fits all your requirements, so just give him the sword and see if it starts to glow in the dark."

"Alright Karrin, let me be perfectly serious with you," Dresden told his dearest friend in the world. "Amoracchius was entrusted to me by one of God's Archangels. I can't just hand it over to some boy at a party because you happen to find him attractive."

That snide comment earned him a slap across the face. "Maybe you have forgotten, but thanks to the Black Council the world around us is going to hell in a handbasket. When you were entrusted with Fidelacchius after Shiro's death you held on to it for seven fucking years before I finally took it. Sanya and I need another Knight backing us up right now, and we can't wait another seven years for you to get up off your lazy ass and find the perfect candidate!"

Dresden rubbed his red check—despite her small size Murphy was quite strong. "That does this Neville think about the idea of becoming a Holy Warrior?"

"He turned me down flat. He wants to spend the rest of his life tending his greenhouses, not fighting the forces of evil," Murphy replied. "But the fact that he doesn't want Amoracchius is probably the very reason he should be the one to have it."

Dresden let out a deep breath. "Well Michel Carpenter is the most righteous man I have ever known, and his instincts about divine matters like this are always spot-on. He is here at the party, so let's get his opinion on this."

Despite his severe limp the pair found the former Knight of the Cross dancing with his youngest daughter Hope, and they quickly explained the situation to him.

"I know you hate it when I say this Harry, but God..."

"... works in mysterious ways," Dresden supplied.

"What were the chances that young Ivy should meet one of these strange wizards and fall in love with him? And that she would bring us all together here on this beautiful island?" Michal asked. "Personally I wish this Neville was a bit older, but Karrin is right that we are living in perilous times, and that a third Knight is desperately needed. You should also keep in mind that the ultimate decision is not yours, but rather God's. He alone will choose the next Knight—the one who shall yield the power of Amoracchius in His holy name."

Since the destruction of his Chicago apartment Dresden always carried both Amoracchius the Holy Sword with him when he traveled. So less than ten minutes later he was standing in front of Neville, offering him one of the most powerful magical weapons ever crafted. The kid didn't seem happy about it.

"I've already told Mrs Murphy that I am not a practicing Christian, and that I'm not interested in becoming an Auror or whatever it is you people call it. Maybe you should offer the sword to Harry. He is more of a hero that I will ever be."

"You're wrong Neville," the Boy-Who-Lived said quietly. "The way you protected the other students from the Death Eaters at Hogwarts last year, and standing up to Voldemort like that and killing his snake Nagini... you are a bloody hero. That's the truth."

"Listen to me," Murphy said. "Things are pretty bad out there in the real world, and soon they are going to get a lot worse. As a Knight you will be able fight back, and protect those who need to be protected. If you are half the man I think you are, you won't turn this offer down."

Being praised by an attractive woman was always a powerful motivator for a young man, but Neville still wasn't convinced. "Why are you so sure it's me?"

"We aren't sure at all," Dresden admitted as held out the broadsword. "Amoracchius will either accept you or it won't."

With a great deal of reluctance the Neville reached out for the hilt of the sword and pulled it free of its sheath. Since nightfall the only source of light on the beach had been several burning torches, but now they were eclipsed by the blinding radiance coming from the sword itself. Unfortunately before anyone could congratulate him, Neville fell to the sand holding Amoracchius with one hand and clutching his head with the other.

"Are you alright?" a concerned Murphy asked as she knelt beside him. "Nothing like that happened to me the first time I touched Fidelacchius."

"I just saw an image of a man look looked like Kingsley Shacklebolt, but he had hair instead of being bald," Neville told her. "Whoever he is, he was surrounded by these hideous Inferi."

"Does that mean anything to you people?" Dresden asked.

"Kingsley is a tall, muscular man of African descent, and an Inferi is a type of zombie," Hermione explained.

"He saw an image of Sanya. I often had similar experiences when my fellow Knights were in danger," Michel told them. "And the one creäture that I fought over the years that most resembles a zombie was a Black Court Vampire.

Dresden and Murphy shared an uneasy look. The Black Court Vampires were nearly identical to the monsters found in Bram Stoker's _Dracula_, and that wasn't by accident. The White Court Vampires had published the novel so that the mortals would know exactly how to kill their hated rivals. This plan had worked, and now there were only a handful of these classical vampires left on Earth. However these few survivors were very dangerous opponents, and Dresden nearly had his hand burn to a crisp while fighting against one of them back in Chicago.

"Give me a minute and I'll call Sanya," Murphy said.

"What do you mean, you'll call him?" Dresden asked.

"We brought a pair of Inmarsat satellite phones last year. You may be stuck in the Dark Ages technologically thanks to your magic, but for the rest of us it's the twenty-first century," Murphy explained as she walked over to her tiki hut.

After a short telephone conversation with her fellow Knight, she filled the others in on what was happening. "Sanya is in São Paulo, Brazil at the moment visiting an old girlfriend, and he thinks he spotted several vampires over the past few nights. He says they shouldn't be too much of a problem to deal with."

"He is wrong," Neville said with absolute certainty. "He will die if Mrs Murphy and I aren't there to help him."

"I'm coming too," Harry added as he glanced over at Ivy. "I got you into this mess, and I won't let you face it alone."

"Before you go anywhere we have a major problem," Bill Weasley said as he came running up to them with his wife Fleur. "We have searched everywhere, and Ron is no longer on the island."

"We saw him wandered off into the trees an hour ago with that beautiful woman with the long black hair, and now they have both vanished," Fleur explained.

"Oh shit," Dresden muttered. "I hate to ask you this, but is your little brother Ron still a virgin?"

"Yes, he is," Hermione said a bit too quickly. "Why is that important?"

"Lara Raith is White Court vampire like her brother Thomas. She feeds off human beings during sex, and she told me once that she finds young male virgins to be irresistible," Dresden explained.

The entire Weasley family had gathered around Bill to hear the news, and now they all started shouting at the same time.

"Silence!" Ivy roared while using some obscure spell to amplify her voice. "Ronald Weasley was my personal guest. Lara Raith knows that if she harms a single red hair on his head both her life and that of her extended family will be forfeit."

"You mean if the vampire hurts Ron you will kill her? And her whole family?" a curious Ginny asked.

"Yes, that is exactly what I meant," Ivy replied. "Thomas Raith, you will accompany the Carpenter family and me back to Chicago. Once there you will inform your sister that Ronald Weasley must be returned to the United Kingdom immediately."

"I will make sure she gets the message," Thomas assured the angry Weasleys.

"I hope so... for your sake," Ivy added ominously.

Neville decided to break the long silence that followed. "I really sorry about what happened to Ron, but we have to get to São Paulo before tomorrow night or that guy Sanya is going to die."

"I can get you there in less than an hour," Dresden told him before turning to his grandfather. "Sir, could you return to Edinburgh and see if the White Council could send us some reinforcements? If this crisis requires all three of the Knights it's going to get ugly."

"I will see what I can do Hoss," a sad Ebenezer promised. It was clear to the old wizard that his own grandson no longer trusted him.

* * *

"That is the warehouse where they have been hiding," Sanya told them an hour later as they all studied the huge structure from the roof of a nearby building. "I had planned on charging in there at dawn, but then I received Karrin's call and decided to wait for the cavalry. This isn't what I was expecting."

It was a very bizarre group which had traveled through Nevernever to São Paulo. Dresden and Murphy were great in fight, but it was obvious to the huge Russian Knight that young Neville barely knew how to hold his sword, and would be useless in any battle. Harry, George, and Charlie Weasley were clearly civilians who had no business going up against vampires. And as for Hermione and Kreacher: that pair was just plain disturbing even for a man who traveled the world destroying demons from Hell.

"That was your battle plan: to blindly charge in without conducting any reconnaissance beforehand?" Hermione asked.

Sanya threw back his head and let out a great belly laugh. "It looks like someone had been taking lessons from you Karrin. Why did you bring this little girl and her purple elf into a combat zone?"

"My name is Hermione Granger, not "little girl". And I am here because I am the new Winter Knight, and I have made an extensive study of military tactics to prepare for situations just like this."

Sanya genial mood suddenly vanished as he drew his sabre Esperacchius. "What the hell is going on Dresden? Why did you sacrifice this poor child's future when it is you who should be Queen Mab's slave?"

Murphy quickly stepped between the two larger men. "Sanya put that away. Both Mab and Leanansidhe are dead because the other Sidhe Queens staged a coup. Harry is no longer the Winter Knight, but he had no choice in the matter."

"The Mantle of the Winter Knight was ripped out of my chest by Odin himself," Dresden added. "If you have a problem with any of this you can take it up with Queen Maeve."

"Queen Maeve? That will not end well," Sanya muttered as he sheathed his sabre. "As for your question little Miss Napoleon: no I have not conducted any reconnaissance inside the warehouse itself, but I have been scouring the city for the past week. I am certain the Black Court Vampires are inside, and the only thing left to do now is storm their defenses and slaughter them."

"I have my Invisibility Cloak. I could take a look around inside before we begin our attack," Harry offered.

"Several of these creatures are true wizards as well as being vampires," Dresden pointed out. "If you went inside the warehouse they would sense you almost at once."

"Oh really?" Harry asked before putting on his Cloak and disappearing. "Where am I now?"

Dresden gathered his magic and then sent it flowing out in all directions, hoping to disrupt the boy's veil. Nothing happened. He then called on his Sight which allowed him to directly see magic and pierce any illusion. Still he found nothing. Finally something wet and slimy touched his left ear.

"Brilliant work Harry," George said as he started clapping. For the first time since Fred's death he was actually smiling. "A wet willy is a bit old-fashioned for my taste, but it's still a classic."

Harry removed his Cloak to take a well-earned bow. He then turned to Dresden. "If you had bothered to ask, I would have told you that not even Ivy can see through my Invisibility Cloak."

"That's impossible."

Harry rolled his eyes at the man's arrogance. "I will be back in a few minutes," he said before silently apparating. He reappeared down by the entrance to the warehouse for a second before putting his Cloak back on.

"How in the world did he just do that?" Murphy asked.

"It is called apparition. It is just like the transporter on _Star Trek_, expect we use our magic instead of any advanced technology," Hermione explained.

"Jesus Christ, Dresden! You and Kincaid were going on about how weak these wizards are, but they can travel like that without having to go through Nevernever," an amazed Murphy said.

"It would seem like a very valuable skill to have in any fight," Sanya added. "Maybe they are not as useless as I first thought."

"Give my a few minutes to create a ward, and they won't be apparating anywhere," Dresden whined as he continued to clean-out his wet ear.

Twenty nerve-racking minutes later Harry returned with bad news. "There are about forty or fifty vampires in there, but there are also two hundred armed muggles."

"So much for Sanya's plan of attack," Hermione said tartly. "Why would muggles coöperate with vampires? Are they under some kind of mental control?"

"We call them Renfields, and even enthralled they can still be very dangerous," Dresden explained. "Granger is an obnoxious twit, but she has a valid point. We need a new plan."

"We could burn the place down with Fiendfyre," George offered. "That would sure get rid of your little vampire infestation."

"No, it would just force them to scatter throughout the city," Sanya explained. "Of course that is going to happen anyway if we don't destroy them before the sun goes down."

"There is something else I noticed," Harry said. "Most of the vampires were... twitchy and looked like they were in pain for some reason. But about five of them looked different. They were perfectly still and ignored the others."

"That means we are dealing with at least five vampires who could easily be centuries old. The rest of them are probably newborns," Sanya reasoned. "But why would they risk coming together like this, and why would they create so many new vampires? The old ones hate taking unnecessary risks like this."

"When we destroyed the Red Court Vampires that left a huge political vacuüm here in South and Central America. I think the Blacks are going to try and make a grab for power," Dresden said.

"And with over twenty million muggles living in the São Paulo Metropolitan Area finding recruits for a new vampire army among the poor would be a simple matter," Hermione added. "I think our best option would be to follow the tactics Caesar employed at Alesia."

* * *

The plan was simple enough in theory: they would surround the warehouse and cut it off from the rest of São Paulo at the same time. Harry had met the Brazilian Minister of Magic over the summer, and when he visited Eduardo Tavares in Brasília that morning the Minister was more than happy to help the famous Boy-Who-Lived crush a nest of vampires in his largest city. A small army of local Aurors and Obliviators soon began casting Notice-Me-Not Charms on the streets leading up to the warehouse, and Memory Charms on any muggles who accidentally made it through the perimeter.

Once that was done Harry made contact with the local chapter of the Venatori Umbrorum, whose names and phone numbers Ivy had thoughtfully given him back on the island. The Venatori were ancient secret society of mortals which knew about the existence of the supernatural. They fought against threats like vampires, and took steps to keep the truth hidden from the public. Thanks to their allies in the Brazilian government and the press, a local blackout was put in place around the industrial neighborhood where the warehouse was located. They were also able to supply them with enough portable concrete barriers to encircle the building before sundown.

Finally Harry wrote a note which contained the details of the entire situation. As the Archive, Ivy knew about the note instantly. She quickly arranged for the Queen Titania to cut the area off from Nevernever, thus blocking that one last avenue of retreat for the vampires.

"Alright, we have them locked in. What's our next move?" Murphy asked as she held the glowing Fidelacchius at her side. Sanya and Neville were on the far side of the warehouse along with the majority of the Aurors.

"We burn the place down. When the vampires come out we hit them with even more fire spells. That plus the sunlight should be enough to finish them off," Dresden answered. "What exactly does this Fiendfyre you were talking about earlier do?"

Harry smiled as he drew the Elder Wand. When the Brazilian Aurors saw his huge flaming stag attacking the warehouse they began casting themselves. None of individual Aurors were as powerful as Harry, but there were nearly sixty of them. When the vampires started coming out into the open the wizards switched over to Reducto Curses. Hermione was also using a new spell which created ice cannonballs that ripped the burning vampires in half.

"You know for a bunch of primitives these so-called wizards are pretty useful to have around," Murphy commented as they watched the carnage come to an end. "We finished off these vampires in less than a day, and I didn't even have to chop anything in half."

"No, this is too easy," Dresden muttered. "We have been up against Black Court Vampires and their Renfields before. They should have put up more of a fight. Unless they were the worm on the end of the hook."

"That would make us the foolish fish. If your analogy is correct, then where is the fisherman?" Murphy asked jokingly.

Dresden again called on his Sight, and began studying the sprawling city around them. "He is right over there."


	8. Chapter 8

The Black Council was an intensely secretive organization. Even the Archive, who knew everything that had ever been written, hadn't been able to learn the identities of its members. There was one partial exception though. A necromancer named "Cowl" had revealed himself to Harry Dresden to two separate occasions. Both Dresden and Ivy were sure the man had once been a disciple of another powerful necromancer named Kemmler, and that he was a member of the Black Council. But that was all they knew. Now they could add another important piece of information to their files: he was now in São Paulo, in the company of a masked woman.

"Hello Cowl, it's nice to see you again. Are you going to introduce me to your lady friend, or shall we get right down to business?" Dresden said as he noticed Harry Potter conferring with the leader of the Brazilians Aurors.

"Don't you ever get tired of that pathetic juvenile banter?" an irritated Cowl asked.

"Ask me that question again after I whoop your ass." This comeback caused Cowl's mysterious companion to laugh, which unnerved Dresden for some reason. "What kind of game were you playing at with those Black Court Vampires?"

"They were bait, nothing more," Cowl replied as all the Aurors suddenly apparated along with the two Weasley brothers. "It seems yours allies have run away. It's a pity, I was looking forward to killing them."

"Do they make true wizards take a class on "how to be a wanker" before they give you your bloody staffs?" Harry asked as he, Hermione, and Kreacher joined the others.

Cowl chuckled as Sanya came around from the other side of the still-burning warehouse. "Boy, I think I will keep you alive, so I can use you as a human sacrifice. To answer your question Dresden: we constructed this trap to catch the Russian Knight of the Cross."

"May I be of service?" Sanya asked in a tight voice. He had Esperacchius in one hand, and was balancing a RPG rocket launcher on his shoulder with the other. Neville was trailing right behind him like a nervous puppy.

"Who is the new recruit?" Cowl inquired.

"Show him Longbottom," Sanya suggested.

Without any grace or panache Neville pulled Amoracchius free of its sheath. Like the other two swords it was giving off a powerful otherworldly glow which stood out even next to the burning warehouse. The young Knight seemed more concern with his friend's reactions than with the threat posed by the two dark wizards.

"So, an untrained boy and an undersized woman. When the original Merlin was entrusted with one of those swords he did a much better job of find a proper Knight—or should I say King—than you did Dresden," Cowl remarked.

"I think these two will..."

Harry glanced over at Hermione and they shared a silent conversation with their eyes: these two loved the sound of their voices even more than Dumbledore and Voldemort. Hermione squeezed Kreacher's hand for a second, and then winked at Harry as she let go. The pair then immediately apparated to a spot a few meters behind the two members of the Black Council. They both knew that attacking the true wizards with conventional spells would be useless, so Harry levitated a slab of concrete in air, while Hermione created a dozen razor-sharp ice spears. They then launched these items into the air.

When the others saw the attack they quickly joined in. Kreacher fired off a handful of arrows while Sanya fired off a rocket-propelled grenade. Murphy pulled out her Beretta and emptied a clip, and even Dresden pulled out his new blasting rod once he realized that his monologue had been cut short. The small rod sent a powerful jet of pure fire straight at Cowl.

Harry and Hermione quickly apparated out of the way, and back to their friends. This was a good idea since the dome-like shield Cowl created deflected all of their attacks with ease. Harry sent a metal sewer cap flying like a Frisbee; he then grabbed Neville and Kreacher. The three-way apparition was a strain on his magic, but they successfully made it to a nearby alley shielded from the battle. Hermione joined them a few seconds later, since her bond with the dark-elf allowed her to sense his location even in the middle of a muggle city.

"Take these two to Nevernever, and then get Neville to Chicago as quickly as you can," Harry commanded.

"I want to stay and fight," Neville said.

"Please don't take this the wrong way, but you would just a distraction for the others," Harry told him. "You need a lot of training before you can face powerful opponents like those two, and the only man who can give you that kind of training is the former Knight of the Cross like Michal Carpenter."

Kreacher was watching Hermione as she used a rune-covered dagger to carefully open a portal to Nevernever. He didn't care about anyone but his soulmate, and had no problem abandoning the others to their fate. "Will Queen Titania and her servants allow the Winter Knight safe passage, or will we have to fight once we reach the other side?" the dark-elf asked.

"Hermione and Luna are important to Titania for some reason that none of us understands," Harry offered. "I'm sure she will allow the three of you to travel to Chicago. The Brazilians promised me that they would give George and Charlie with an international portkey, so you should be able to meet them in the United States tomorrow morning."

"But what about you?" Hermione asked.

"I will catch up with you all later," he said before apparating once again.

The battle was still a stalemate when Harry returned. Cowl and his companion were hiding behind their shield while Dresden hammered away at them with an impressive variety of offensive spells. Murphy and Sanya were cautiously approaching the shield with their swords held high. Harry decided to put on his Invisibility Cloak and wait for an opening.

"I'm curious comrade: how are your stomach pains? Are they getting worse?" Cowl asked Sanya as he took out a large black crystal from the pocket of his cloak.

The two Knights froze, and even Dresden let up on his magical onslaught. Murphy went over to check on her fellow Knight, but kept Fidelacchius between her and the dome as she moved. "Is he telling us the truth?"

"At first I thought it was a simple case of indigestion, but it has been getting worse all day," Sanya admitted. "Whatever that black crystal is, it just made the pain more intense."

"Why do you damn Russians insist on being so stoic in the face of pain and hardship?" an annoyed Murphy asked.

"It's the only way we can survive living with our women folk," the Knight replied as he began to tremble. "What did you do to me?"

"We slipped you a unique poison yesterday while you were eating lunch with the lovely Miss Costa. Let me tell you, it takes a great deal of delicate magic to bypass your "divine" protection," Cowl smirked. "In case you were wondering, your whore passed away three hours ago. It was a very long and painful death, as you will soon discover."

"You bastard!" Sanya yelled.

The Knight tried to lunge at the shield, but instead doubled over in pain. Harry suddenly appeared at his side and began running his wand over Sanya using several of the advanced healing spells Ivy had taught him over the summer. The poison or whatever it was had spread throughout his body, but it hadn't yet caused any irreversible damage. Murphy and Dresden took up defensive positions between them and the two dark wizards, who seemed content to hide behind their impregnable shield.

"You stupid little boy with your stupid little stick. Not even a full-trained healer from the White Council itself could save him from death," Cowl told him.

A few minutes later Harry helped Sanya to his feet. The Knight didn't look very healthy, but the pain seemed to have passed once the poison was gone from his body. "You will be as good as new in few days."

"That is impossible you fool," Cowl sneered.

"You idiots are supposed to be wizards. Do you really think you should be throwing the word "impossible" around so much?" an exasperated Harry asked.

"I have used shields like this before," Dresden said as he studied the magical dome. "It's strong, but you are going to have to come out and play sooner or later. And when you do, the odds don't look good for the old Black Council."

"Then I will just have to change the odds," Cowl told them as he raised his hands to the sky in supplication. It was almost as if he was praying to some unseen god. "We were hoping the vampires would have finished you off, but we brought along a little insurance... just in case."

Suddenly one of the walls of a nearby building exploded outwards, showing the area with debris. What emerged out of the cloud of dust was a nightmare made into flesh. Technically you could call it a giant, except for the fact that it had about twenty extra eyeballs scattered all over its black and red body. That included a huge meter-wide eyeball were the thing's stomach was supposed to be.

"This beauty was chosen specifically to kill the Knights of the Cross," Cowl remarked. "Swords—even ones as powerful as yours—have very real limitations as you children are about to find out."

Murphy quickly executed a flawless attack with Fidelacchius which should have severed the giant's Achilles tendons, but Cowl hadn't been lying about the it's abilities. Despite being over six meters tall and weighing who knows how many tons the thing moved like an Olympic gymnast.

It leapt over Murphy's blade, did a flip in the air before landed perfectly on its feet, and then backhanded Dresden all in one fluid motion. Murphy tried to slash at it again, but a well-timed jab from the giant put the female Knight on her back. Even in his weakened state Sanya tried to attack the giant from behind, but a mule kick from one of its huge legs sent him flying.

"I guess the eyes in the back of its head really do work," a tense Dresden remarked as he got to his feet. "Potter should head for the hills. That thing is an Outsider, and your magic will be useless against it."

Harry ignored the older man. Ever since the giant had appeared he had been filled with a very familiar sense of dread, and it all made sense to him in a twisted kind of way.

"Expecto Patronum!" he shouted.

The silver Prongs which emerged from the Elder Want couldn't kill the giant anymore than it could kill a Dementor, but it certainly got the monster's full attention.

The appearance of Patronus seemed to clear Dresden's head, and his incantation of "Ventas Servitas" created a gust of wind strong enough to knock the giant back on its heels.

"Conjunctivitus!" Harry then shouted while the monster was still off-balance.

The spell was supposed to cause serve pain in your victim's eyes, and it certainly worked. The giant quickly shut all its many eyelids as it crashed to the ground. It then let out a scream so intense that it shattered glass windows for blocks in every direction.

Dresden ran up to the giant's head and placed his blasting rod directly inside its ear before yelling: "Fuego!"

A torrent of blood, brains, and flames then exploded out of the other side of its huge head, killing the giant instantly. For good measure Murphy and the still-weak Sanya both stabbed the corpse in the heart. Or at least where its heart was suppose to be.

"We have the tools, and we have the talent!" Dresden shouted as the giant began to dissolve into ectoplasmic goo.

"You have nothing more than luck," Cowl snapped. "That Outsider could have easily killed the Knights of the Cross."

"Then it was a good thing that our Boss made sure these two were here to help us," Murphy replied as she helped Sanya stand upright. "How long are you going to hide in there, you worthless cowards?"

Rather than answer Cowl just collapsed in a heap. "That wasn't his real body—it was just a spare he created for today," the masked women told them.

"You mean it was nothing more than a remote-controlled meat-puppet? That's why he never came out and attacked us," Dresden muttered. "Well we have some questions for you lady, so why don't you drop the shield and face the music."

"Are you really going to torture me Harry Dresden, the first woman you ever made love to?" the women asked as she removed her venetian mask.

"Elaine?"

Like Harry Dresden, Elaine Mallory had been orphaned as a child. They had both been adopted by a true wizard named Justin DuMorne, who had trained the two powerful teenagers in the Art of Magic. DuMorne's plan was to turn them both into his slaves, and he had successfully enthralled Elaine using black magic. However Dresden had fought back, and despite his youth he had killed the older wizard. The experience had deeply scarred the teenage girl, and Elaine had sought out sanctuary among the Sidhe of Summer. She allowed Dresden to believe that she was dead, and he had only learned that she was alive a few years ago.

"Yes, it's me Harry. And I brought along another old friend of yours," Elaine said as she held out her hand. The sigil of the Denarian Lasciel was clearly visibly on her palm.

In order to protect Michal Carpenter's son, Dresden had once picked up a silver coin of the Order of the Blackened Denarius that had been left near their house. That particular coin held a Fallen Angel known as Lasciel, and touching it even once had marked him. A shadow of Lasciel's personality had lived inside of Dresden's mind for years, talking to him all the while. They had even become friends of a sort before she was destroyed saving his life. But he had always rejected the idea of become a host for the Fallen Angel itself. It seemed that Elaine had accepted the offer.

"I don't know what Lasciel promised you, but whatever it is, she is lying," Dresden said. "I swear to you that none of the Fallen can be trusted. All the Denarians know how to do is manipulate and destroy the free will of their hosts."

"Lasciel wants to survive the coming storm just as much as I do," Elaine said. "You have no idea of the scope of the disaster which is about to come crashing down on the world."

"You told me that after being enthralled by Justin DuMorne you would never again submit to anyone's control," Dresden argued.

"Lasciel doesn't control me, we are true equals in every way. That is the pact we made, and I know she will keep her promise."

Sanya actually growled when he heard that. "If you truly believe that, than you are a fool. Despite the Denarian's sweet words it views you as nothing more than a beast of burden, and that is all you will ever be to _**it**_."

"I sorry to interrupt this little reunion, but the muggles have finally broken through our blockade. An army of local law enforcement is only a few blocks away," Harry told them after taking a little scouting trip around the perimeter.

"Can you bring down this shield so we can take her with us?" Murphy asked. "She must have a lot of information about the Black Council we could use."

"It would take too much time, and I'm not in the mood to be thrown in a Brazilian jail for starting this fire and burning down the entire the neighborhood," Dresden said as he continued to stare at the first woman he had ever loved.

"Then I think we should retreat to Nevernever now, and leave her here," Harry suggested.

"Yes, run along now," Elaine told them. "Thanks to Lasciel I am fluent in Portuguese, and it will be no problem for me to talk my way out of police custody. We will meet again soon enough."

* * *

After leaving the battle the four heroes found a tea party waiting for them in Nevernever. Of course it was the strangest tea party any of them had ever seen. Their portal opened on to a vast plain which held two hostile armies made up of every magical creäture you could think of. Queen Titania had promised Ivy that she would guard this area of Nevernever, and it seemed that Queen Maeve had deployed the forces of Winter as well. Sitting in the no-man's-land between these two magical armies was an elaborate gazebo where the Summer Lady and the Winter Lady were waiting for them with refreshments. In addition to Hermione, Kreacher, and Neville the two Ladies were hosting a few other guests as well.

"Hoss, you're alive," a relieved Ebenezer said when he saw his grandson. "I brought some reinforcements, but these two wouldn't allow us to pass over to Brazil."

"They did not need your help," Luna said as she petted her two meter tall... thing. It looked like some mad scientist had stitched together the worst parts of a gorilla, a grizzly bear, and a lion. And the would-be-Frankenstein had then added a horn to the thing's forehead. A crumpled-horn, to be exact.

"I see you finally found your elusive Crumpled-Horn Snorkack here in Nevernever," Harry said with a grin.

"I found all my special creatures waiting for me here in Nevernever, but Tycho does have a special place in my heart," Luna replied with a grin of her own. "Please allow me to introduce you to the Summer Lady Lily and her Summer Knight Fix."

It wasn't much of a shock that the Summer Lady was stunningly beautiful; she was a Sidhe after all. The Summer Knight was more of a surprise for Harry. Unlike Dresden and Sanya he was of average height, and was kind of ugly as well.

"Lady Luna was told us so much about her friend Harry Potter," Lily said.

"I bet Luna left out all the incredibly brave things she did during our battles with Lord Voldemort," Harry said as he kissed Sidhe's hand.

"After dealing with Maeve for all those years it was a bit of a shock to learn how humble and kind the new Winter Lady can be," Lily admitted.

Harry then turned to Fix. "I know it's your job to fight against the Winter Knight, but if you hurt Hermione Granger I will hunt you down and kill you."

The Summer Knight held up his hands in mock surrender. "The purple elf already gave me this speech. I can't make you any promises, but I will tell you that it will take a direct order from Queen Titania for me to hurt Granger, or any other woman for that matter. I saw too much of that garbage when I was growing up."

Luna gracefully cut in at this point. "I know you have already met Ebenezer McCoy, but there are three other members of the White Council with us here today."

Anastasia Luccio was an intimidating brunette in her twenties, but like Ivy her cold eyes seemed to belong to an older woman. Carlos Ramirez was also in his late twenties, and had the same air of confidence about him that Bill Weasley possessed. The third true wizard was as old Native American named Joseph Listens-to-Wind, or Injun Joe as Ebenezer called him, who was leaning heavily on his staff. None of them seemed happy to be meeting Harry Potter.

"Hoss, what the hell happened down in São Paulo?"

Dresden than told the members of the White Council and the two Ladies about their fight against the Black Court Vampires, Cowl, and the Outsider itself. He left out the part about his former lover Elaine Mallory, and shot the younger Harry a nasty look when tried to mention her name. None of the true wizards were willing to believe Dresden's wild story at first.

"I take it that Potter and these... Aurors uses a great deal of black magic during this so-called battle," Luccio asked as she fondled the hilt of her sword.

Tycho the Snorkack struck like lightning, and pinned the Captain of the Wardens to the ground before anyone else could react. Its long claws were millimeters away from disemboweling her, so the other true wizards froze in place.

"It is hard to believe that someone so old can be so stupid," Luna hissed. "Harry Potter is the Archive's consort. If the White Council is foolish enough to harm him she will destroy you all, and don't doubt for a moment that she can."

"Anastasia apologize," Ebenezer ordered.

Despite being seconds from death the woman was defiant. "It was a perfectly reasonable question to ask."

"Now!" the old wizard barked.

"Anastasia these people haven't lived by the Laws of Magic for centuries, and this isn't the time or place to try and bring them to justice," Injun Joe added in a much gentler tone.

"Fine. Please accept my apology, Mr Potter."

"Apology accepted," Harry said politely. By now he was too familiar with the arrogance of the White Council, but he saw no reason to offend the woman.

Only then did Tycho release Luccio, and ramble back to Luna's side.

"Now that we have all calm down a bit, why don't you bring your friend Sanya over here so I can have a look at him?" Injun Joe said. "We can't afford to have a Knight of his caliber out of commission for too long."

"I already healed him," Harry said. "The poison is gone."

"Injun Joe is the best healer on the White Council and has been to medical school over a dozen times," Dresden told him. "Trust me Potter, if you accidentally missed something, he will find it."

Sanya laid down on one of the benches as the old Native American began to run his hands over the Knight's body. Luna suggested that they all have something to eat while they waited, and told them that the food and drink being provided would in no way obligate them to the Sidhe. It was over an hour later before the examination was complete.

"The pain was so bad Sanya actually started to tremble?" Injun Joe asked Dresden after he pulled him aside.

"Yeah, that sounds about right."

"And Potter healed him with nothing more than his wand?"

"Yeah, that's what happened," Dresden confirmed. "Why, what's going on?"

"Well I'll be damned," Injun Joe muttered. "This Cowl person used the same poison that the Red Court Vampires employed against us in Edinburgh, expect that Sanya was given a more potent liquid instead of the weaker aerosol form that we were exposed to. This poison has already killed a dozen of our people, and we still don't have a cure for it."

This bit of information confused Dresden. "But Ebenezer told me you were infected."

"I still am, but thanks to my magic I have made a partial recovery like most of the other victims. However the poison is still in my bloodstream, and I could have a relapse at any moment. We believe that the stuff is extra-dimensional in origin."

"You mean they got it from the Outsiders?"

"That is what our best alchemists in Edinburgh keep telling me," Injun Joe replied.

"Potter used some really bizarre mojo on that Outsider in Brazil," Dresden explained. "One was a deer made of pure light, and another caused the giant to violently scratch at its eyes. His friends told me that the kid was been hit twice by their form of a death curse. Maybe he has some sort of power over the Outsiders because of that?"

"Or maybe you two share the same birthday."

What only a few people like Ebenezer and Injun Joe knew was that unlike other true wizards, Dresden's magic could actually harm the Outsiders. His mother had planned the date of his birth in order to give him this rare power over the Outer Demons. It was probably the reason the late Queen Mab had been so eager for him to serve as her Winter Knight.

"I not sure why Potter can perform this unique type of healing, but my examination of Sanya shows that it's effective against the Red Court poison," Injun Joe continued. "Let's ask the boy how he feels about helping out the White Council in our hour of need."


	9. Chapter 9

While Harry Potter was having a spot of tea in Nevernever, Ivy Potter was dangling her bare feet in Chicago's famous Buckingham Fountain. Even in late September the city could experience hot and humid weather, and her upcoming meeting had the young newlywed in a foul mood. Lara Raith fancied herself a master manipulator and would no doubt attempt to bamboozle the Archive. The fact that she had spewed her entire breakfast forty minutes ago wasn't helping matters, nor was the view of bloody Lake Michigan.

"I am sensing a great deal of sexual tension in the air. Is someone missing the companionship of her new husband already?" Lara Raith said as she hopped over the small fence which surrounded the fountain

Ivy turned to look at unofficial Queen of the White Court Vampires, and had to stifle a pang of jealousy. Lara radiated an overwhelming aura of sexuality, and all men in Grant Park were openly lusting after her. The same could be said for a large portion of the women as well. Compared to the vampire, the teenager's pretty face and slim figure barely warranted a passing glance.

From a corner of the park Ivy heard a distinct bird call. That meant trouble, so she raised a veil that only Kincaid could see through. "You brought six bodyguards with you."

Lara smiled her perfect smile. "One can never be too safe nowadays, considering what happened to the Red King and his Court."

"Your bodyguards are dead," Ivy said casually.

It took Lara a full minute to regain her composure. "According to the Unseelie Accords you simply can not..."

"Who did you think wrote the Unseelie Accords, you stupid cow. I know all the loopholes because I created them for my own benefit in the first place," Ivy explained. "If the Weasley boy is not returned to the United Kingdom in the next twenty-four hours I fully intend to eradicate the White Court Vampires. You disgusting creatures have been a plague on humanity for several millennia, and it is long past time you joined the Red Court Vampires in oblivion."

"The Archive is suppose to remain neutral at all times," Lara said in a tight voice.

"And I do remain neutral as long as I am not provoked," Ivy replied. "You kidnapped my husband's best friend from our wedding reception—that is a clear provocation in anyone's book. You are going to tell me why you did it, or I am going to kill you, and magically toss your corpse out into Lake Michigan."

Lara Raith thought of herself as a predator, but now she realized that she was nothing more than prey for a far-superior predator. The vampire began to panic just like Ivy knew she would. Beneath the mask of cool confidence she was still a frightened little girl who had been mentally and physically abused by her father for the past two hundred years. Ivy might have felt sorry for her... if it wasn't for the thousands of mortals the she had feed upon in order to stay alive for all those years.

Rather than accept her well-earned trip to hell, Laura Raith blurted out her brilliant plan. "I want Harry Potter and his wizards to destroy House Malvora and House Skavis for me."

The White Court Vampires were divided into three branches depending on their choice of food. House Raith feed on sexual energy, House Malvora on the emotion of fear, and House Skavis on despair. Lord Raith was currently considered the single most powerful vampire among the Whites, which earned him the right to ruled as King. In reality he had lost his ability to feed and most of his other powers when Margaret Dresden had used her death curse against him shortly after Harry Dresden's birth. This weakness had allowed his daughter Lara to secretly seized power, but the other Houses would never accept her as their Queen since she lacked her father's reputation for strength and brutality.

"I was already aware of your little plot since one of your less-then-intelligent sisters mentioned it in her diary," Ivy said dryly. "But thank you for admitting it to my face."

"Which one of them was it?"

"That is not important now, so take off those ridiculous high-heeled shoes and join me. This slimy water feels wonderful."

Lara hesitated, but as powerful she had become since overthrowing her father she still wasn't powerful enough to ignore a command from the Archive. So she dutifully removed her designer shoes and sat down on the edge of the fountain. "You should know that young Ronald will never leave me, nor would I want him to. I have never had such a delightfully source of food before."

Ivy sighed. "I take it you haven't you read the _Iliad_ lately."

"As the Archive do you know the real story of the Trojan War?" a curious Lara asked. "I have often wondered if Helen was a Vampire or a Sidhe."

"Helen was nothing more a twelve year-old human girl, and Paris was a drunken fourteen year-old human boy with acne. They were found naked beneath an olive tree one day, and were both murdered for bringing dishonor upon their families. The Trojan War actually started three months later because of a dispute over fishing rights in the Aegean Sea."

"The most famous war in history was started over fishing rights. No wonder Homer went with the story of Helen of Troy instead," Lara mused. "Ronald is hardly the most beautiful boy in the world, but his kidnapping should be enough of a reason to start a nice little war. As you pointed out, his best friend is their society's greatest hero, and his father is the Minister of Magic for the United Kingdom."

"How can you be sure that the other members of the White Court won't simply hand your lovely head over to these wizards rather than fight an unnecessary war?" Ivy asked.

"Because I have been preparing to move against my rivals for years, and the chaos of a war will provide me with the perfect cover to carry out those plans," Lara replied. "Once my enemies among the other Houses are out of the way, I will humbly ask for a peace treaty with these weak wizards."

"Are you truly willing to sacrifice the resources that House Malvora and House Skavis provide for the White Court?" Ivy asked. "The Black Court Vampires may breed like insects, but it takes nearly fifteen years for your kind to replace any losses."

"The twenty-first century is no place for vampires who feed on fear and despair. They attract far too much negative publicity. Only House Raith was the ability to adapt to this modern era."

"That is true. The pornographic culture you prefer has never been more popular or more accepted by the general pubic," Ivy admitted. "Many rulers throughout history have attempted to employ this strategy before: using a minor military conflict to solve their short-term political problems. Over ninety percent of them failed, and around forty percent end up being deposed or killed."

"This time it will work... if you and your husband are willing to cooperate with me," Lara insisted.

Ivy considered the vampire's proposal for twenty seconds, which was quite a long time for the Archive. "Two more of the Weasley brothers are due to arrive in Chicago today, and three hostages make for better bait than one. I'm sure they will enjoy the special hospitality that only the Raith sisters can provide."

The White Queen just smiled.

* * *

Harry had written a detailed note explained the situation with the White Council, and how they wanted him to heal their poisoned wizards. He had doubts about his own political judgment, and wanted to hear Ivy's opinion before making any firm commitments. Dresden suggested that they have at meeting at McAnally's tavern in Chicago, which was considered neutral ground under the Unseelie Accords. Ivy, Kincaid, Andromeda, and little Teddy Lupin got there at noon. The group from Nevernever was due to arrived in half an hour.

Ivy walked up to the bar, and placed a small suitcase on it. "Mr McAnally, we need to borrow your tavern for the afternoon."

Mac knew exactly who, and more importantly _**what**_, Ivy was. "Everyone out." Only when the room was clear did he open the suitcase to find that it was full of one-hundred dollar bills. "This isn't necessary."

"Buy yourself a new car," Ivy suggested. "That black Pontiac Trans Am out back is pathetic."

"It's a classic."

"No, it's pathetic," Ivy said with a smile. "Now break out a case of your finest dark ale, and I wouldn't mind one or two of those famous steak sandwiches either."

Back at their table Andromeda was admiring the finely carved wood columns scattered around the room. There were thirteen of them to disrupt the flow of magic caused by any intoxicated wizards. "This place is much nicer that the Leaky Cauldron or the Three Broomsticks."

"I don't know—that barmaid Rosmerta at the Three Broomsticks has a superb rack," Kincaid said as he bounced Teddy on his lap.

"When do you ever visit a backwater like Hogsmeade?" an amused Andromeda asked.

"I had business in the so-called Forbidden Forest, and stopped by for a drink afterwards. Ogden's Old Firewhiskey is definitely the high point of your culture."

"I don't know, I rather enjoy their talking portraits," Ivy said.

A few minutes later the younger Harry burst through the door. He went straight over to Ivy and started kissing her even though her mouth was still full of medium-rare steak. Dresden, Ebenezer, Injun Joe, and Luccio followed him to the large table and sat down with looks of disapproval etched on their faces. It was the White Council's firm belief that of the Archive should avoid any emotional entanglements because of her lack of mental stability. Ivy thought the self-righteous bastards would only be happy when she started reproducing by parthenogenesis.

"If you want a steak sandwich order your own," Ivy told to her husband after they ended their prolonged kiss.

"That is just plain wrong," Dresden said as he stared at Kincaid and Teddy. As a budding metamorphmagus the child could mimic the appearance of others, and his current hairstyle perfectly matched Kincaid's shoulder-length golden hair. "How can you let a monster like him hold your child?"

"Jared is alright once you get to know him," Andromeda replied.

"You have no idea of the horrors this _thing_ is capable of you ignorant fool," Luccio hissed.

"I was tortured by my own sister, a sister who then turned around and murdered my daughter," Andromeda said quietly. "I may not be a member of the White Council, but I have a fair understanding of the concept of evil. I know what kind of man Jared is, and I know that my grandson is perfectly safe with him."

"I second that motion," Ivy said. She then turned to Injun Joe. "How many patients are inflected by this poison?"

"Fifty-one are still alive, including me," he replied.

"Bring them here to Chicago," Ivy said. "To McAnally's specifically. Harry will go through with this mercy mission _only_ if it takes place here on neutral ground."

"Some of our people are far too sick to be moved through Nevernever," Luccio objected. "The boy should come to Edinburgh and treat them there."

"You hide it well _bambina_, but you are just as much of a fanatic as your former protégé Morgan," Ivy said. "If Harry ever sets foot inside the wards of Edinburgh we both know he will never leave your stronghold alive. It would be a race between you and the Merlin to see who could execute him first for violating the Laws of Magic."

"She has you there Luccio," Ebenezer said after taking a long drink of ale. "I will bring our people back here; the round trip should take us about two hours. Potter, I want you to work on Injun Joe while we're gone. It's of the greatest importance for all of us that my friend makes a full recovery as soon as possible."

"Sir, you are just going to give in?" Dresden asked. "They haven't even asked for any payment yet."

"Hoss, it doesn't matter want they want because we are just going to end up giving it to them," Ebenezer told his grandson as he and Luccio got up to leave. "We can't afford to lose a single wizard, let alone fifty-one of them. Not now, not ever."

It took Injun Joe, Ivy, and Mac about almost an hour to set up a sterile operating theater in the middle of the tavern. By comparison actually treating the patient took only a few minutes. As a healer himself the Native American was extremely interested in what Harry was doing, and afterwards pronounced the procedure a total success.

"Kid, I haven't felt this good in months," Injun Joe told them. The questions lasted for a few more minutes, but Harry lacked the necessary medical training to converse with a master healer.

Ivy gently led him away to the restroom, warded the door, and then stripped naked. The loo was by no means a comfortable place for sex, but it had its own unique charm for the two horny teenagers. After their first frantic coupling they began exchanging questions about what the other had been up to. Harry went first.

"Well since I wrote you that note we dropped Neville and Sanya off at the Carpenters, and Murphy took a flight to Nigeria. She told us there was going to be some major trouble in Lagos, and that they would need a Knight of the Cross ASAP. Hermione returned to Arctis Tor with Luna, since Queen Maeve had some new mission for her. What about the Ron situation?"

"I had a very productive meeting with Lara Raith, but this restroom is not the place to discuss it," Ivy told him.

"Do have any theories as to why I can heal these wizards when no one else can?" Harry asked. "I don't even have much practical experience with the spells I'm using."

"I believe I know what's going on, but I would rather not fill your mind with doubts until you are finished helping the White Council."

"That doesn't sound very reassuring Ivy," Harry moaned.

"Then let me provide you with a proper distraction. In the Kama Sūtra this particular position is called the suspended congress."

"You know, I would have enjoyed the Yule Ball a lot more if Parvati Patil had promised to teach me stuff like this afterwards."

* * *

"Are you two horndogs decent?" Dresden asked from out in the hallway some time later.

Ivy was just buttoning her dress when she called out: "Get in here you big lummox, we need to talk to you."

Dresden came in with his eyes closed. "I hope you know how incredible awkward this is for me. I first met you when you were just six years old."

"Open your eyes," Ivy snapped.

"Oh good, you're dressed," a relieved Dresden said. "You know Potter, I have to thank you for what you just did for Injun Joe. Not only is he a great man, but he has also saved my life on several occasions."

"A simple thank you is not good enough," Ivy told him. "We have two tasks for you to carry out. First of all you will escort us to Demonreach. I have important business to conduct out there, and I expect you to keep the island under control while I working."

"Is this business of yours dangerous?"

"Of course it's dangerous, but it must be done, and I require your help," Ivy told him.

Dresden just shook his head. "Fine. Potter your first patients have arrived, along with the Merlin."

"That is excellent news, and it brings me to the second task we have for you. When my husband is done I want you to formally propose that he became a member of the White Council."

"But I don't want to become a bloody member of the bloody White Council," Harry whined.

"I'm happy you feel that way Potter, since it will never happen. There is no way in hell the Merlin will let one of your kind join the White Council while he's in charge," Dresden explained.

"I know that," Ivy said.

"And when he turns Potter down, he will look like a huge asshole for being so disrespectful to the man who just saved the lives of so many wizards," Dresden reasoned.

"I know that too," Ivy said as she exited the restroom.

The Merlin was not the real Merlin—it was just a title given to the current leader of the White Council. Not that Arthur Langtry was empty suit or anything. He actually was the most powerful true wizard on the entire Council, which meant he had as much magical strength as most minor gods. He also looked the part with his immaculate white robes and his long white beard. He even carried a white staff. Most people found this whole image intimidating, but when Harry Potter saw him for the first time he started laughing uncontrollably.

"He looks just like Dumbledore," Harry said after catching his breath.

"Mr Potter I do not appreciate being compared to that wretched sodomite of yours," the Merlin intoned.

Ivy turned to her husband. "You will soon discover that unlike your Headmaster, the Merlin has no sense of humor and takes himself very seriously."

"But he does loosen up a bit when they're about to execute someone for violating the Laws of Magic," Dresden whispered as the first patients were brought in on stretchers.

"What payment do you require for your services Mr Potter?" the Merlin asked in a condescending tone.

"Helping my fellow wizards will be payment enough old chap," Harry said in a loud theatrical voice that everyone in the tavern was sure to hear. "These people are obviously the worst off, so let's not waste anymore precious time with idle chit-chat."

Both Ivy and Injun Joe insisted that Harry pace himself, and neither would allow him to perform more than one healing every ten minutes or so. Everyone kept waiting for signs of exhaustion from the young wizard, but even after eight hours of work Harry felt fine. At first several of the true wizards had complained about being treated by a "primitive charlatan", but as the afternoon wore on their attitudes started to change. It was hard to find fault with such incredible results.

Since McAnally's was a tavern and had a lot of alcohol on the premises, people soon began celebrating their recoveries by getting drunk. In addition to the patients themselves where were many husbands, wives, and even children who had made the trip from the Edinburgh infirmary. To everyone amazement Mac even brought out an ancient record player, and for the first time in living memory allowed dancing at his establishment.

While Ivy twirled around the makeshift dance floor with Kincaid, Harry was forced to submit to an examination from Injun Joe. "I feel fine."

Ebenezer snorted. "Potter, if you don't learn to respect the limits of magic some day that magic going to turn around and kill you."

"I have already died once. It wasn't that bad," Harry replied.

"You are talking about the lightning bolt on your forehead, aren't you?" Injun Joe asked. "I have seen a lot of black magic during my lifetime, but that scar sure takes the cake."

"You should have seen it when it was still had a piece of Voldemort's soul inside of it."

Ebenezer and Injun Joe shared a concerned look. "You mean that Dark Lord of yours actually placed a piece of his soul inside your body?" the old healer asked.

"Yeah, that about sums it up," Harry told them.

The two true wizards quickly raised a complex ward cutting them off from the others. "Kid, I own you a debt so let me tell you this: never trust the Merlin with a piece of information like that. He already wants you dead because of your relationship with the Archive. If he learned that you are some sort of junior necromancer your life won't be worth a bucket of warm spit," Injun Joe told him.

Harry studied the ancient pair for a moment. "You both think the Merlin is part of the Black Council, don't you? That's why you don't trust him."

"Did the Archive tell you about the Black Council?" Ebenezer asked as his mysterious Blackstaff appeared out of thin air.

"Yes, I did," Ivy said as she causally walked right through their powerful ward. She then grabbed the Blackstaff from a stunned Ebenezer. "I should kill you for summing this vile thing in the presence of my husband."

"I didn't think anyone but me could touch that without dying," the old man said in amazement.

Ivy rolled her eyes as the staff disappeared back to wherever it came from. "Your weapon is not as unique as you were led to believe. Now answer my husband's question: is the Merlin a member of the Black Council or not?"

"We honestly don't know," Injun Joe admitted. "Some of the evidence says yes, some of the evidence says no."

"That's just wonderful," Ivy muttered. "Watch him closely. If we are going to have to eliminate Arthur Langtry from the picture, I want to do it as soon as possible."


	10. Chapter 10

Ivy despised being the Archive, but there were times all that accumulated knowledge came in handy. Say if you needed to pilot your catamaran out to a rocky island in the middle of Lake Michigan, it helped to have instant access to the million or so books written about the subject of sailing. Even with the relatively moderate winds they were pushing forty knots without the use of any magic. She felt it would be cheating.

"This is almost as good as flying," Harry declared, and Dresden's huge dog signaled his agreement with a loud woof. "Mouse isn't an ordinary dog, is he?"

"No, he is a Mountain Ice Demon from the Land of Dreams. And before you ask I have no idea what that really means," Dresden replied. "He can also speak perfect English, but I can only understand him when I'm a dog too."

"So you are an animagus?"

"Um... no."

"An animagus is a shape-shifter you idiot," Ivy explained. "Sometimes you take this whole "I'm a mysterious wizard" routine of yours too far."

"No, I'm not an animagus but Injun Joe says he wouldn't mind teaching me the Art of Shape-Shifting someday," a chastened Dresden replied. "So, you can fly?"

"Only on brooms, although I heard good things about magic carpets when we visited the Persian Empire over the summer."

"Magic carpets sound really cool. I can make a passable Flying Potion, but all it really does is slow your rate of descent when you have to jump from off a cliff or something like that. Actually it's kind of lame."

Ivy rolled her eyes while adjusting one of the catamaran's sails. Dresden was technically old enough to be her husband's father, but the two seem to be the same age when it came to their level of emotional maturity. "Do you feel the presence of Demonreach yet?"

"No, I have to be in physical contact with the island before anything happens—magically speaking."

Demonreach wasn't just another island, and it wasn't just another site were a Ley Line touched the surface of the Earth. Instead it was one of the sources from which magic was created and flowed outwards. Ivy had three theories about why magic originated on this particular island, but even she wasn't certain which one of those theories was correct. It didn't matter, at least not for the ritual she was planning on staging today.

Another interesting aspect of Demonreach was that the magic there had achieved a crude level of sentience. This malevolent spirit dove away any humans who attempted to settle on the island. Three years ago Dresden had foolishly performed a _Sanctum Invocation_ ritual on Demonreach. It had allowed him to become the shaman of the island, but his control over it was tenuous at best. There was a high probability that this vast source of magical power would end up destroying the true wizard if he wasn't careful.

After another ten minutes of sailing the island came into view. Its shoreline was rocky and uneven, but beyond that there was a respectable little forest.

"You know, this place feels a lot like Hogwarts, but it's somehow colder here," Harry said as Ivy skillfully docked their boat at one of the old and crumbling piers.

"Your former school was built on a confluence of several Ley Lines, although the magic in that section of the Highlands is much more benign in nature than what we are dealing with here."

"Lucy, I'm home!" Dresden yelled as he and Mouse playfully jumped ashore.

"Is that another one of his obscure pop culture references?" Harry asked.

"Just be grateful he didn't quote _Star Wars_ again," Ivy replied as she gathered her supplies from the hold. These fragile items were the reason they had traveled to the island using the catamaran instead of walking through the volatile Nevernever.

It was a short hike to the dilapidated lighthouse and cabin which were the only man-made structures left standing on the island. This was where the Order of the Blackened Denarius had brought Ivy when they captured her in Chicago. Despite her young age the Fallen had tortured her, hoping that she could be forced into accepting one of their coins. Luckily she had been rescued by a group which included Dresden, two Knights of the Cross, and one very resourceful Valkyrie with a helicopter and a Gatling gun.

"Demonreach isn't exactly happy to see any of us, so could you please tell me why we came out here?" Dresden asked.

Ivy opened her one of her bags and took out a pair of long pliers. She then opened another bag and used the pliers to grab an old silver coin which she carefully placed on the ground. "This is why," she replied before repeated the process with another coin.

"Those are real Denarian coins, aren't it? How many of them do you have, and what do you planning on doing with them?"

"Kincaid and I managed to track down twelve of the coins, and Gentleman Johnny Marcone was thoughtful enough to give Harry and me another one as a wedding present," Ivy explained. "And it should be fairly obvious what I am going to do with them. Today thirteen of the Fallen will be obliterated from this plane of existence."

"Do you really think that trying to kill thirteen Fallen Angels is a good idea?" a nervous Dresden asked as Mouse began to growl at the growing collection of coins.

"I am not going to _**try**_ anything. I _**am**_ going to obliterate them. And if the Great White God didn't want me to do it, than he shouldn't have allowed the human race to discover Quantum Mechanics. This ritual would have been impossible using just classical Newtonian physics," Ivy explained as she continued to carefully place the silver coins on the ground.

"I take it you want to tap into the power of Demonreach as part of this ritual? The Gatekeeper specifically warned me never to do that," Dresden said.

"The Gatekeeper warned you not to do that because you lack the necessary dexterity. No offense, but you have a well-earned reputation for being a magical thug," Ivy pointed out as she began painting a reddish circle with what looked like fresh blood. "However what would be suicide for you is a walk in the park for me."

The circle of blood was only the beginning. Over the next hour Ivy created a masterpiece containing scores of arcane symbols and runes from magical cultures lost to history. She also used a dozen advanced mathematical equations which somehow blended in perfectly with supernatural components of the circle.

"Let me see if I understand what's going on here," Dresden said. "You are going to take the magical energy from Demonreach and focus it using this Ritual Circle. And that focused energy will kill the thirteen Denarians and their coins?"

"You make it all sound so easy," Ivy said with a grin. "But it took me, the Archive, years of experimentation to figure out the precise mechanics needed for this ritual."

"What about the excess energy?" a voice asked from the small crystal in Dresden's pentagram amulet.

"I see that you _finally_ discovered that hiding Bob in Margaret Dresden's crystal repository protects him from the negative effects of sunlight," Ivy observed.

"Yeah, my mother really knew what she was doing when she crafted this little sucker. Not only can it hold all of her personal knowledge of the Ways of Nevernever, but I can also fit Bob in there."

"There's plenty of room at the bottom," Ivy agreed.

"Who's this Bob person you two are talking about?" Harry asked.

"Technically Bob is a spirit of air and intellect trapped inside a human skull," Ivy replied. "In reality is a tiny and very horny version of the Archive. A very tiny version of it."

"I'm not tiny!" the voice in the crystal yelled.

"So Bob is a magical artificial intelligence?" Harry asked. "That sounds like a really useful thing for a wizard to have."

"There is nothing artificial about my intelligence Potter, but I am incredible useful," Bob sniffed. "If it wasn't for my genius Dresden would have ended up as werewolf shit years ago."

"Back to the matter at hand. What do you think of my ritual circle Bob?" Ivy asked.

"Simply put, it is beyond anything I have encountered during my long existence. Thank you for allowing me to witness its creation," Bob replied without a trace of his customary sarcasm. "But I still have one question: what are you going to do with the excess energy created by the death of the Denarians? It has to go somewhere."

Ivy took out a large satellite phone and dialed a number.

"Hello Lara... I'm sure it is... well I'm calling to tell you that the Raith family has five minutes to evacuate your Chateau... because I'm about to destroy it... yes, I'm being completely serious... no, I will not reconsider my decision... yes, be sure you take the Raphael with you when you leave, he is my favorite painter... yes, tell Ronald that Harry misses their games of chess... you're welcome Lara... good luck."

"You are going to direct all that energy at the Chateau Raith," Bob observed. "What a wonderfully elegant solution."

"What about Thomas?" a concerned Dresden asked.

"I am giving them time to evacuate," an irritated Ivy replied. "I want you to send a message to your good friend Demonreach."

"What message?"

"Now."

"I thought only you had the necessary skill to do this ritual?" a confused Dresden asked.

"I have done all the difficult groundwork, but as the shaman of the island you have to supply the energy," Ivy pointed out. "You want the Denarians dead as much as I do, don't you?"

Dresden spent the next several minutes having a loud argument with himself, but finally he said: "Alright, I'll do it. But this had better not endanger Thomas."

Since Ivy had first told Harry about this ritual he'd been dreading it. To him destroying the Denarian coins seemed far too much like destroying Voldemort's horcruxes, and that had been a long series of nightmares for him. From killing the diary with a basilisk fang to walking to his own death in the Forbidden Forest—each experience had been worse than the last.

This was different though. In a way it was almost sublime. The first coin suddenly cracked into shards, and released into the air an angelic being of awe-inspiring beauty. The Denarian held its shape for a fraction of a second, and then slowly faded away. This process repeated itself twelve more times, and by the end even Ivy was crying. As evil as the Fallen were, it still seemed wrong to be destroying such otherworldly creatures.

"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph," Dresden muttered as the last Denarian vanished from sight.

"It is not over yet," Ivy reminded them as her husband wrapped her in a hug and wiped away her tears.

Harry hadn't noticed, but while the Denarians were dying the ritual circle began to pulsate with a strange black energy. Then the entire island of Demonreach started to pulsate along with it. Slowly this black energy coalesced into the shape of large mansion. In the end it became a perfect representation of the Chateau Raith, but after only a few seconds it too faded away.

"That was so peaceful," Harry remarked.

"Extravagant light shows and sound effects are the mark of an inexperienced practitioner," Bob explained.

"I bet it wasn't that peaceful for the Raiths," Dresden argued.

"They are vampires. They should consider themselves lucky that I gave them any warning at all," Ivy told him. "Harry, according to my projections the American Aurors should be arriving soon to investigate the disturbance, and I want you there to take credit for it."

* * *

When Harry apparated to the former site of the Raith home a few minutes later he found a disaster of biblical-proportions. A three-hundred meter wide pit had been carved into the rolling countryside of northern Illinois. The bottom of this new pit was so deep that it was completely hidden in darkness.

"What the bloody hell are you doing here?" a familiar voice called out from the nearby woods.

Harry turned to look at his best friend, and was shock at the changes he saw. Ron Weasley had gone completely muggle, and looked like one of those investment bankers Ivy had working for her in Switzerland. His custom-tailored suit probably cost more than what his father Arthur Weasley earned in a year as the Minister of Magic.

"Where is Lara Raith?"

"I am right here," the vampire said in a cold voice as she suddenly appeared at Ron's side. Her eyes were totally sliver, which meant that the demonic spirit inside of her was eager to kill any human in its path.

That fact didn't concern Harry in the least. "The American Aurors will be arriving soon, so you and your family should be leaving, unless you're looking for a fight."

"You just destroyed a home that has belonged to my family for over a century, along with a countless number of heirlooms and works of art. So yes, I am looking for a fight," Lara hissed.

"Are you truly foolish enough to fight against the local Aurors and the Winter Knight at the same time?" Hermione asked as she came riding out of the woods on the back of Tycho the Crumple-Horned Snorkack. She was wearing an elaborate but functional suit of Sidhe armor, and for the first time actually looked like a proper Knight.

"What the bloody hell are you doing here?" Ron asked his other best friend.

"That is an excellent question," Lara said. "The Sidhe of Winter have no quarrel with the White Court Vampires."

Hermione was studying the vast pit, and didn't even bother to turn around and face the powerful vampire. "Several years ago the White Court captured several hundred small fairies, and used them as lawn ornaments at one of your disgusting revels. At the time Queen Mab allowed your insult to go unchallenged, but Queen Maeve feels a proper response is now in order. Are you going to be reasonable vampire, or shall I order Tycho to attack?"

Lara didn't rise to her current position of leadership by being stupid, and picking a fight with two enemies at once was definitely stupid. Especially when one of those enemies was as cruel and vicious as Sidhe of Winter. "That wouldn't be necessary; we will withdraw. Please tell Queen Maeve that we meant no offense, but will be happy to pay whatever compensation she desires."

Once Lara was a safe distance away Hermione dismounted. "How can you stand being with her?" she asked Ron.

"What's the big deal? Harry is married to a walking library, and you have a soul-bond with Kreacher the bloody Elf," Ron pointed out. "Compared to that my relationship with Lara is practically normal."

"Doesn't she feed on you during sexual intercourse?" Hermione asked with obvious disgust.

"Sure she does, but I don't mind," Ron told them. "Let's be honest here: even if I became the starting keeper for the Chudley Cannons I would still never find a woman half as amazing as Lara. You want me to leave all this behind so I can do back to the Burrow, and then marry someone like Lavender Brown? No bloody way."

"So you want to stay with her even though she might accidentally kill you?" Harry asked.

"Trust me, it's worth the risk," Ron replied obvious honesty.

"You are acting completely insane," Hermione huffed.

"I like your new armor," Harry commented, hoping to prevent another lengthy row which the two were famous for.

"It was a gift from Luna. It is so lightweight I feel like I'm wearing my old Hogwarts robe," Hermione said as she preened. "The Lady of Winter felt that if I was going to ride Tycho into battle I should look the part. I suppose this pit is Ivy's doing?"

"It was a byproduct of a magical ritual she performed today."

"If I ever start making Ivy angry kick me in the leg or something before she decides to kill me," Ron said, and it was clear he wasn't joking.

"You both should leave before the Aurors arrive," Harry told them. "It will be easier to deal with this mess without anyone else around."

While Hermione opened a portal to Nevernever, the Raiths left in a long convoy of luxury vehicles that had somehow escaped destruction. After five minutes Harry was left alone to ponder Ivy's plan. He knew he would never become the Supreme Mugwump of the ICW unless he proved to his fellow Ambassadors that he was worthy of the post, but taking credit for this mess seemed a bit over the top. His musings were cut short when the Aurors from the United States Department of Magic started arriving.

The Yanks were understandably furious that a magically explosion of this size had occurred less than twenty miles north of Chicago, but the presence of the Boy-Who-Lived calmed them down a bit. Not only had Harry killed the Dark Lord Voldemort last spring, but he had also slaughtered a vampire army and a rampaging giant down in Brazil the other week. So when he explained that the explosion had taken place during a battle with the White Court Vampires, the Americans couldn't have been more pleased.

"Our moronic Secretary of Magic believes in peaceful coexistence with the vampires, but personally I glad someone finally took the fight to these blood-sucking monsters," one of the Aurors said. "We need a cover story for the muggles, and I don't think anyone will believe the standard "it was a gas main leak" excuse. Any suggestions, Mr Potter?"

"Well, there are a lot of deep caves around here, so I would tell the muggle government that one of them collapsed and caused a sinkhole to open up," Harry offered. "The same thing happened in Guatemala a few months back, so they should buy that explanation."

"That is a great idea Mr Potter."


	11. Chapter 11

After providing the American Aurors with a deposition about the mass destruction he had supposedly caused, Harry was given a mild warning and allowed to return to Demonreach. In theory their magical society was governed by the Rule of Law, but in reality certain powerful wizards like Dumbledore and Voldemort were laws unto themselves. Albus had boasted to Minister Fudge that no prison, not even Azkaban, could hold him if he wanted to escape, and Voldemort had fought a guerrilla-style war for over decade before finally being declared an outlaw. Harry now saw that he was another one of these rogue wizards those magical strength place him beyond the jurisdiction of the average Auror.

"How did it go?" Ivy asked as she prepared the catamaran for the trip back to Chicago.

"The pit was mind-boggling huge, and Lara Raith was so furious about the whole situation that she wanted to devour me. Luckily the Winter Knight arrived on the scene, and forced her to back down before I had to kill anyone. Apparently Queen Maeve didn't care for the way the White Court Vampires have treated some of the smaller fairies in the past," Harry explained as he climbed abroad. "You should have seen Hermione—she was actually wearing a suit of Sidhe armor."

"What about Thomas?" Dresden asked.

"I didn't see him around, but I wasn't really looking."

The tall wizard grabbed Harry by the arm. "What do you mean you weren't..."

"Dresden!" Ivy snapped as her magic seized him. "If you ever manhandle my husband like that again you won't live long enough to regret it. And while we are clearing the air let's get something else straight: to us Thomas Raith is nothing more than another vampire who deserves to die."

"He's my brother."

"I am perfectly aware of that fact. Are you aware of how many people Thomas has killed over the years to sustain himself?"

"He can't control himself. His demonic side overwhelms his free will, and forces him to feed on humans," Dresden argued.

"If he truly cared about the welfare of others he would commit suicide," Ivy stated coldly. "Since he is too much of a coward to do that he deserves to die for his crimes, and if he continues to associate the rest of the White Court Vampires he will receive his punishment soon enough."

"If you try to hurt Thomas it will be over my dead body," Dresden snarled as he tried and failed to feed himself from the girl's magical bindings. "You don't want me as an enemy."

The teenager let out a bitter laugh. "You are no longer the Winter Knight, and you just saw what I did to the thirteen of the Denarians. Do you honestly think I am afraid of you?"

"I have other sources of power," Dresden replied.

"I take you are referring to _The Word of Kemmler _and the Darkhallow ritual?" Ivy asked. _The Word of Kemmler _is a book you moron, and as the Archive I know everything about it. And Kemmler was far from the most talented necromancer in history. Even with the assistance of Bob and your Tyrannosaurus Rex, I could still crush you on that particular field of battle."

"My wife is a brilliant at making zombies," Harry added. "It only took her about a few seconds to reanimate a group of dead goblin warriors."

"You actively practice necromancy?" a shocked Dresden asked.

"I actively practice all forms of magic, as do many of the foes you will soon be facing. Think about that while you are walking back to Chicago through Nevernever," Ivy replied as she threw him off the catamaran. "If you want to save your brother Thomas that is your affair, but perhaps you should be asking yourself why the monster deserves to be saved at all."

After Mouse had jumped ship Harry took out the Elder Wand and created a magical gust of wind. For a time Ivy was silent as she concentrated on adjusting the sails, and plotting their course. Then she began to do something Harry had never seen her do before: she began to cry.

"What's wrong?" he asked gently.

"How could he side with a vampire over me?"

"Well, Thomas is Dresden's brother.

Ivy's tears suddenly vanished. "No, that **_thing_** is a vampire."

"...who is also his brother, and that obviously means a lot to the man," Harry reasoned. "I was never really close to my godfather Sirius Black, but I almost got five of my friends killed trying to rescue him when I thought he was being tortured by Voldemort. Hermione told me it was a trap, but I was too emotional involved to see it. I guess being an orphan kind of screws a person up when it comes to dealing with personal relationships."

"But Dresden is the one who gave me the name Ivy."

"What did everyone call you before that?" Harry asked.

"The Archive."

"You mean for the first six years of your life Kincaid referred to you as the Archive? I find that a little hard to believe."

"Jared Kincaid is not exactly a normal person," Ivy replied as she cracked a smile.

"No, he is definitely not normal," Harry admitted. "What's on our agenda when we reach Chicago?"

"I think we should see Sanya and Neville, and tell them the good news," Ivy said. "After that we will travel to London to tell Minister Weasley that the White Court has kidnapped three of his sons. Finally we head back to Switzerland for the autumn secession of the ICW. You need to make a personal report to the other ambassadors about what happened in Brazil, and here in Chicago."

"You still think I should take credit for everything? It feels wrong to be telling such blatant lies to so many important wizards."

"Why? They are constantly lying to you and to each other. Besides these are the same wizards and witches who forced you to face Lord Voldemort alone, despite the fact that you were an inexperienced teenager. You don't owe them anything."

* * *

"Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia both would have had heart attacks if anything like this went on at my old house in Surrey. Aren't you afraid that your neighbors are going to report you to the police?" Harry asked Molly.

The scene in the Carpenter Family backyard was a bit out of the ordinary for Suburban America. Sanya and Neville were stripped to the waist and slashing at each other with wooden practice swords, although the older man was only using one of his hands. Harry had expected the Russian Knight of the Cross to be muscular, but the appearance of his fellow Gryffindor was a shock. Neville's baby fat had melted away, and his lean torso was covered with several vicious scars. Life at Hogwarts under the Carrows last year must have been ghastly for the rebellious members of Dumbledore's Army.

"All our neighbors think my parents are reenactors in the Renaissance Fairs we have here in the United States," Molly explained. "But I have told my mom she should do it for real during the summer. She would be a real crowd-pleaser, and could probably earn a lot of money."

"That's true," Harry muttered.

Charity Carpenter was almost as attractive as her young daughter and looked downright sexy in that medieval armor. She was also nearly as good with a sword as Sanya, and had no trouble beating Neville during their last practice duel. Even with his limited experience Harry knew his friend was totally outclassed, but for some reason Ivy was watching him closely.

"No cheating," she said while raising her left pinkie in the air.

Just as Sanya was about to finish Neville off the wizard screamed, a fact which caused the big Russian to laugh. "Boy, you are only supposed to do that after I've broken your arm."

"I tried to apparate, but something just stopped me. And it hurt like bloody hell!"

"I just created a ward which blocked your ability to apparate," Ivy explained. "Your magic is very useful, but you must learn not to become overly dependent on it during a fight."

"Why not?" he asked. "I am a wizard."

"What would happen if you are facing an experienced warlock who could neutralize your spells and curses? You must accept the fact that Amoracchius is infinitely more powerful than you are. Using that sword will allow you to overcome enemies who could easily defeat a hundred of your fellow wizards."

"The Archive makes an excellent point," Sanya said. "Now we will continue with our duel, but this time with no magic tricks."

"You created a ward in under two seconds with just your pinkie finger?" a stunned Molly asked Ivy as the two Knights began to circle each other again. "Can you please teach me how to do that?"

"You have to be able to walk before I can teach you how to run Miss Carpenter, and in terms of magical development you can barely crawl. What happened to all your tattoos?" Ivy asked when she noticed that the girl's artwork had disappeared from her long and shapely body.

"Neville doesn't like tattoos," Molly replied. Then she leaned over and whispered: "I had to summon a friendly water nymph from Nevernever to remove the damn things, but it has made my parents so happy it was worth all the chanting."

Harry had to stifle a laugh. He could just imagine Ivy's volcanic reaction if he asked her to change her personal appearance like that.

"Where are all your brothers and sisters?"

"The three oldest Jawas are off at university," Molly replied. "Dad loaded the other three in the new Sandcrawler and took them out to the movies. Now that his injuries have force him to retire he loves dragging us out on family outings. Mom and I are a little sick of it, but the others don't mind humoring him."

Half an hour later Michael Carpenter walk through one of the wooden gates leading to the backyard. The former Knight of the Cross walked with a cane, but despite his disabilities he seemed more at peace with himself than anyone Harry had ever met before. "Mrs Potter, Mr Potter. What brings you both to my humble abode today?"

"Yes, what is this big surprise you have for us?" Neville asked. Sanya took advantage this student's lack of concentration, and whacked him across the back with his wooden sword.

Michael winced in sympathy as the teenager fell to the ground in agony. "Son, what have we told you about lowering your guard? A fight is never over until your opponent is dead, and even then you still have to be carefully."

The father of seven winced again when he saw his oldest daughter rushed over to Neville's side to check on his injuries, something which the young Knight didn't seem happy about.

"It looks like someone has a new stalker," Harry whispered to his wife as Neville got to his feet without Molly's help.

"We thought you all might like to see this," Ivy said as she took a box out of her Louis Vuitton handbag. It contained a collection of small metal shards. "This is all that remains of thirteen members of the Order of the Blackened Denarius."

"Dear Lord, what have you done?" a pale Michael asked as he staggered over to the fence for support. His wife Charity quickly rushed to his side and shot Ivy a nasty glare at the same time. The woman had a rare talent for nasty glares.

"I was lead to believe that Denarians were immortal beings. How can you be sure they are dead?" Sanya asked.

"Have you seen the news reports about the sinkhole that swallowed a large house just north of Chicago a few hours ago?"

"You did that?" an amazed Molly asked.

"The death of Denarians released a great deal of energy, and it had to be channeled somewhere," Ivy explained. "Hopefully this will teach Lara Raith how dangerous it can be to disrupt another woman's wedding reception."

"Is Thomas Raith dead?" Molly asked.

"No, unfortunately he is not," Ivy snarled.

"Those coins contained the spirits of Fallen Angels, and you have released them from a prison that the Almighty placed them in nearly two thousand years ago," a shaken Michael said.

"Ivy just told you that she didn't release the evil bastards. She killed them," Harry explained with some irritation. "I was there when it happened, and saw them die with my own eyes."

"You killed thirteen Fallen Angels?" an impressed Sanya asked. "And I thought Karrin Murphy was fierce."

"For a human being to usurp God's authority such a manner could very well be viewed as blasphemy," Michael reasoned.

"Maybe Nicodemus should have thought about that before he kidnapped and tortured me," an unconcerned Ivy replied. "If it makes you feel better there are still seventeen Denarians out there for Murphy, Sanya, and Neville to fight against. Although I will admit facing 5.68-to-1 odds instead of 10-to-1 odds might take some of the fun out of being a Knight of the Cross."

"How can you be so flippant about your actions? You may have just damned your soul to Hell," a concerned Michael said.

"If your Great White God wants to condemn me to eternal suffering for ridding the world of those monsters, then so be it," Ivy replied. "Sanya, if you or Neville capture any more coins you now have a choice. You can either hand them over to the corrupt leadership of the Catholic Church, which will just turn around and sell them back to Nicodemus and his allies. Or you can give them to me and be rid of the Denarians forever."

* * *

Minister Weasley didn't take the news about his three sons being kidnapped very well. Ivy didn't help matters when she explained that White Court Vampires wouldn't kill the boys any time soon. Instead they would be kept alive for months or even years so that they could repeatedly be used as a source of food for the ravenous monsters.

"And these feedings takes place in… bed?" the Minister of Magic asked. European wizards were surprising puritanical, which was odd for a group that openly practiced witchcraft.

"The process itself rarely occurs in a bed. When you are dealing with the White Court Vampires a feeding frenzy can happen anywhere at anytime. According to her sisters, Lara Raith is particularly fond of consuming her victims in the kitchen. Perhaps she thinks the knives and running water will come in handy if she needs to clean up any accidentally bloodshed," Ivy mused.

Poor Arthur's face had turn pale during this little speech, but Harry thought he might have seen a hint of jealously there as well. After being married to Molly Weasley for thirty years who could blame him for secretly wanting to be ravished by a beautiful Vampire Queen?

"Will it be possible for you to rescue them?" the Minister asked.

"A rescue mission would be too risky for your sons, but if we can put enough military and economic pressure on the White Court they will probably release Ron, George, and Charlie voluntarily. Most of the vampires we are facing are centuries old, and they hate the idea of risking their precious necks during any kind of prolonged conflict," Harry explained.

"Do you honestly believe that the ICW will approve to your plan?" Arthur asked.

The Minister's concerns were well justified, as Harry found out later in the week. The International Confederation of Wizards had been created to oversee the Statute of Secrecy, but the real enforcement of the law was left in the hands of the individual countries around the world. As a result each magical government fiercely guarded their independence, and many had become strict isolationists over the centuries. Even when faced with a major threat like Lord Voldemort the ICW was loathed to interfere with the internal affairs of any of its member countries.

After Harry delivered his report about the attacks in Brazil and Chicago, he made a passionate speech declaring that this policy of isolationism was no longer an acceptable. "There is clear evidence that powerful supernatural forces are becoming more active, and none of us can be sure of what their ultimate goals are."

"That is exactly why we should remain aloof from the larger world. If these unknown forces of which you speak wish to attack the muggles, than it is none of our concern," the popular Ambassador from India argued.

"With all due respect Sir, you are wrong," Harry replied. "If a major supernatural war breaks out the Statute of Secrecy won't last a week, and without the protection it provides us we are vulnerable to attacks from all sides. We must start preparing for a worst case scenario while we still have the time."

"Each of our countries has its own Aurors," the Persian Ambassador pointed out. "If this hypothetical conflict does occur in future, we already have the means to defend ourselves."

"I can tell you from personal experience that the Aurors are trained to maintain the peace, not fight a war," Harry replied. "What we need is a purely military force which is trained to going on the offensive at a moment's notice. And having a unified chain of command on the international level won't hurt matters either."

"And just who will lead this New Wizard Army?"

"Sit down and shut up Sanjay!" the Brazilian Ambassador roared. "Potter was Albus Dumbledore's personal protégé, and he managed to kill that monster Voldemort. He also stopped a giant and a legion of vampires from destroying half of São Paulo. My Aurors tell me his spells are the strongest they have ever seen, and you're delusional if you think any of us could defeat him in a duel."

The whole room suddenly went quiet as an elderly witch got up to speak. The United States Department of Magic was notorious for being the most isolationist government on Earth, and everyone expected their influential Ambassador to veto the idea of a new army.

"Dumbledore's boy is right, there hasn't been this much upheaval in the magical world since the time of the great Merlin himself. If Potter is willing to personally take command in the field—and if any wizards or witches are foolish enough to volunteer to serve in his little army—then I say we give him our support for the time being," the American witch said to the shock of her colleagues.

Mexico, Brazil, and the other countries of Latin America quickly voiced their support for the idea. The whole region had been infested by the Red Court Vampires for centuries, and the recent war between vampires and the White Council had caused a great deal of collateral damage. Now that the Red Court had finally been exterminated, the leaders of South and Central America had no wish to be colonized by other supernatural monsters.

Since the dark-elves had carried out their "Great Pureblood Massacre" the new European leaders had started to look to Harry Potter for leadership. As Dumbledore's heir he was a symbol of hope for the continent's progressive movement, and had the passionate support of the entire muggleborn population. The Europeans and their close allies in the Antipodes reasoned that if Potter could defeat Voldemort, then he should be able protect them from this mysterious new threat as well.

In opposition were the great civilizations of China and India, neither of whom wanted anything to do with an international army lead by a European teenager. They were backed by all the countries of Asia, and this meant that issue would be decided by the votes of the African delegation. Everyone looked to the Nigerian Ambassador, who had been Magical Africa's unofficial leader for the past twenty years or so.

"Before I vote, I would like to share with you all a piece of news I just received from my homeland," the great wizard Uzochi said. "Yesterday one of our larger magical towns was attacked by a Nundu. Since these terrible beasts are native to Kenya and Tanzania, its presence in Nigeria can only be seen as a deliberate act of aggression against my people."

A deathly silence fell over the room. The poisonous breath of the giant Nundu had been known to wipe-out the entire population of the towns they attacked. "How many wizards and witches were lost during the battle?" someone finally asked.

"None," Uzochi replied.

"That's impossible! It takes at least a hundred highly trained wizards working together to capture a single Nundu."

"The beast was killed by a single muggle woman who was armed with nothing more than an old sword. When our Aurors approached her afterwards the first thing this Karrin Murphy asked them was if they had ever met a wizard named Harry Potter," Uzochi explained. "We all know the boy is powerful, but it seems that he has important allies among the muggles as well. Who is better qualified to lead our young warriors through this storm we all fear is coming?"

During the bedlam that followed Harry went out to the hallway to speak to his wife. "It looks like the Big Guy upstairs still likes us even after what we did to the Denarians. He sent one of his Knights of the Cross to save a Nigerian town right before we needed the vote of the Nigerian Ambassador."

Ivy didn't look pleased with this turn of events. "Yes, it appears He is on our side... for now."


	12. Chapter 12

"**This is the fourth concealment ritual we have performed today**," Elaine Mallory telepathically whined to the Fallen Angel who shared her body. "**I understand the need to hide our presence from the White Council and the Archive, but isn't this a bit excessive**?"

"**Hardly my child**," the Denarian Lasciel replied in the same manner. "**The Archive just slaughtered thirteen of my brothers and sisters. She would not hesitate to the same to us**."

"**I still can't believe arrogant little bitch posted that information right on the Paranet for everyone to see**."

Back before she had agreed to become a host for Lasciel, Elaine and Harry Dresden had set up the Paranet. It was an online community for low-level magical practitioners who lacked the strength needed to become full-fledged members of the White Council. The Paranet allowed its users to share important, even live-saving information about the dangers brewing in the supernatural world. One of the main reasons Elaine had accepted Lasciel's offer was because the Denarian had promised to place these defenseless women and men under the protection of the Circle.

"**The Archive was sending a blunt message to Nicodemus and his slaves: leave me alone because I have the power to destroy you**," Lasciel explained. "**But at least it would be quick death. The White Council would torture us for weeks before the Wardens were finally allowed to decapitate us. I would be able to mentally shield you from the pain, but it would still be unpleasant watching your lovely body being ripped apart by those self-righteous hypocrites**."

"**All right, I see your point**," Elaine said as she continued to prepare for the fourth ritual.

Forty minutes later when she had finished a tall and attractive man of Turkish descent entered the front door of her bungalow. In many ways Thorned Namshiel was a perfect stranger to Elaine since they had spent no more than five minutes in each other company. Yet at time he and Lasciel had been friends and often lovers for past two thousand years. This mental dichotomy was very taxing, even for a woman who had spent a decade living among the inhuman Sidhe of Summer.

"Are you ready Miss Mallory?" Namshiel asked in perfect Aramaic. "I am afraid our trip through Nevernever today will be long and arduous. Since Queen Titania and Queen Maeve are no longer fighting each other, their border patrols have become much more active, especially those of Winter. Several of our allies have been killed during the past few weeks while traveling along the Ways."

"**Do not be alarmed**," Lasciel counseled as she used Elaine's magic to open a portal to Nevernever. "**I met Maeve on several occasions while she was still the Winter Lady. Compared to the late Queen Mab she is a weakling who poses no threat to the long-term plans of the Circle**."

"**What about Queen Titania? I spent years watching her, and she is no one's idea of a weakling**."

"**True, she is a much more formable opponent, but Titania will be preoccupied with her inexperienced counterpart for the time being**," Lasciel replied to her anxious host. "**It will be at least a decade before the realms of Summer and Winter are stable enough to field sizable forces against their external enemies. These minor patrols are of no real concern to us**."

The trip to from California to Mozambique should have been a simple matter, but after an hour of walking through Nevernever they spotted a pair of trolls and a purple elf marching through an ancient forest. Luckily Namshiel was able to raise a veil before this "minor patrol" could discover their position.

"Why aren't we attacking them?" Elaine asked in a whisper. Trolls were the mindless foot-soldiers of Winter, and she had no qualms about killing the violent creatures. Plus she was eager to practice her new shape-shifting skills in battle.

"It's a trap. There are at least a dozen dark-elves waiting to ambush any wizard who takes the bait. We could easily defeat them, but our main priority today is to remain undetected. "

"I don't understand, according to Lasciel's information there haven't been any dark-elves in Nevernever since the Middle Ages."

"True, but for some reason they have returned from their exile," Namshiel explained. "The new Winter Knight commands a large army of them, and they are as lethal as ever. Rumor has it that they even played a role in Queen Mab's death."

It was dawn when they finally Mozambique, and there in a beautiful plantation on the shore of the Indian Ocean they began another set of concealment rituals. The Circle had spent decades perfecting its security protocols, and the penalties for not observing them were frightening even for a pair of jaded Denarians. At noon they were ushered into a large marble room where a dozen figures stood waiting. They were all wearing heavy cloaks to protect their identities from Elaine. Her personal history with Harry Dresden was well-known to the Circle, and she had yet to earn their full trust.

"**These individuals are all predators. You must not show them any weakness, or they will turn on us**," Lasciel warned.

"Why was I brought here at such great personal risk?" Elaine demanded. "I have more important things to do than attend meetings with cowards who are too frightened to show me their faces."

One of the hooded figures laughed. "What an arrogant little girl. Perhaps we brought you here to eliminate you."

Compared to heavyweights of the magical world like the Merlin or the Gatekeeper, Elaine Mallory was basically a talented middleweight. She had a great deal of control over her magic, but she could never rely on brute strength to win a duel like her former lover Dresden often did. However since joining with Lasciel she had gained access to Hellfire, which could turbo-charge her spells and greatly increase their power. This marriage of her own tightly controlled magic and Hellfire allowed Elaine to slam her tormentor into one of nearby marble walls with a gust of superheated wind.

"**Well done, my child**," Lasciel offered.

"I was asked to join the Circle because of the unique talent I have over the Outsiders. It's a valuable asset our organization can not afford to lose. So I will ask you again: why was I brought here?"

"You are of great value to us Miss Mallory, but no one is truly irreplaceable. Not even me, the Sorcerer of the Circle," another of the hooded figures said in a heavily distorted voice. This Sorcerer was wearing a shapeless robe, so Elaine wasn't even sure if it was a man or a woman lurking underneath.

"To answer your question: you and Thorned Namshiel were summoned here to discuss the actions of the Archive. Do you assign any validity to her recent claims?"

"She isn't lying," Namshiel replied at once. "The Denarians were all trapped in the same... prison by our Father, and as a result we are aware of each other's presence even though we are scattered across the globe. Now thirteen of us are gone."

"The White Council has always believed that the Archive was no more powerful than one of the Sidhe Queens, but this is a feat not even Titania could accomplish," another robed figure muttered. "What of her Vow of Neutrality?"

"Nicodemus provoked her, something the Circle has always taken great pains to avoid doing," this Sorcerer pointed out. "How will your fellow Denarians act to this news?"

"**Let me answer this question**," Lasciel said.

Elaine temporarily surrendered control of her voice to the Fallen Angel. "You must understand my friends that Nicodemus and the rest of his twisted minions are cowards. At this moment he is retreating to the deepest hole he can find, and he will stay there until he is sure that the Archive has lost interest in her quest for revenge. A direct confrontation with a greater power is the last thing he would ever seek out."

"I agree with Lasciel. What remains of the Order of the Blackened Denarius will hide rather than participate in our war," Namshiel added. "I must say I am personally relieved. Both he and Mab suspected that I was a part of the raid on Arctis Tor, and now they have been neutralized by the actions of our enemies."

"No, this is dire news for our great cause," the Sorcerer stated. "For all his many flaws, no one has had greater success in killing the Knights of the Cross than Nicodemus."

"I fail to see why the Circle is so concerned with those holy fools. The current Knights are a sorry lot," Namshiel observed.

"The individual Knights themselves are irrelevant!" the Sorcerer roared. "It is the three swords that must be dealt with. Lasciel, you must find Nicodemus and somehow convince him to take up the fight again. I don't care if he lives or dies, but the Knights of the Cross must be kept preoccupied for the next several months."

Elaine was just about to object to this assignment when Lasciel stopped her. "**If you refuse this order they will kill you. Besides, I never had much trouble manipulating poor Nicodemus**."

"And what are my orders?" an amused Namshiel asked.

"Our little cousins with the wands have caused far too much trouble for us lately, so I want you to send them a message. And don't bother being subtle when you are choosing your targets. The inbred fools understand nothing but blood."

* * *

Harry had once seen a play on the telly where the King of England disguised himself as a commoner so he could spy on his own army the night before a huge battle. The lesson he had taken away from the play was that soldiers would sugarcoat things when speaking directly to a King, and would only be honest when he wasn't around. His bitter experiences as the Boy-Who-Lived had only reinforced the fundamental truth of that lesson.

While this natural duplicity hadn't really mattered when Harry was student at Hogwarts, now that he was the general of a fledgling army it could easily get him killed. So like that fictional King of England, he made a habit of walking among his wizards and witches each night while wearing his Invisibility Cloak. It was the best way he had for gauging their real feelings about current state of the Legion and about him personally.

"The Old Man is a fucking lunatic."

Harry had to smile when he heard his new nickname. The ICW had banned anyone under the age of twenty-one from joining the Legion of Light, and that meant General Potter would be its youngest member for the next three years. At a result the legionnaires had immediately started calling him the "Old Man" as a joke. At least it was an improvement over the "Boy-Who-Lived" or the "Boy-Who-Never-Dies" or "Scarhead" which had always been the preferred choice of the late Draco Malfoy and his Slytherin cronies.

"We have only been training for six weeks and the bastard already wants us to go up against three live Dementors. I bet you a hundred galleons some poor slob gets kissed tomorrow morning."

The best weapon of White Court Vampire—besides any machine guns they might be carrying—was their demonic allure. The best defense wizards had against this was Occlumency, and the legionnaires were given a crash-course in the subject the moment they signed-up. Harry figured if they could mentally protect themselves from a Dementor they should have no problems with a vampire. It was also an excellent excuse to teach them all the Patronus Charm without arousing anyone's suspicions.

"The Old Man might look will he is twelve years-old, but he knows more about fighting than any gray-haired Auror I've ever met."

That wasn't true at all, but Harry had been able to fake it thanks to advice he received from his wife and her bodyguard. Ivy had access to the history of thousands of magical battles. As a result she could tell her husband what would and wouldn't work as he went about performing his new job. But of even greater value to the young General was the help of Jared Kincaid. After directly participating in wars for the last six hundred years the man had more practical knowledge about combat than anyone else alive. Harry knew that Kincaid care for Ivy like a daughter, but war itself would always be his true love.

"Besides if you are afraid of the Dementors than you can always quit. I'm joined the Legion because I want to fight."

The member states of the ICW had been very nervous about the idea of a permanent military force and the political power it might theoretically provide for its general. As a result service was strictly voluntary and a legionnaire could quit at anytime without fear of penalty. The size of the Legion was also strictly limited to six hundred wizards and witches. Kincaid thought it was an asinine way to run things, but Ivy was amazed they got away with this much.

After listening for a few more minutes Harry decided to head back to the large cave which was serving as their temporary Headquarters. The camp itself was located in the Tibesti Mountains of northern Chad. Training this many wizards and witches to fight took a lot of space, and there were few if any muggles to worry about this deep in the Sahara Desert.

Harry paused at the entrance to study the Legion's new Standard. At its top was a large white owl instead of the eagle the Romans had used, and beneath it was the flag of the ICW. When he found out who had told the others about Hedwig, he fully intended to use the Cruciatus Curse on the insensitive tosspot.

During dinner Harry held his godson Teddy on his lap, and tried to feed him some normal table food. It was a disaster, and Andromeda ended up breast-feeding him right there at the table. Ivy noticed that this both aroused and mortified her husband, and she quickly dragged him away to the large tub they had carved out of the solid bedrock. By the time they were done with the bath her own petite breasts were spotless.

"Are you sure your theory about the Deathly Hallows is right?" Harry asked as the exhausted pair crawled into bed.

"Do you honestly think that the three Peverell Brothers made a pact with the actual personification of Death itself?"

"Maybe. When I saw the shades of my parents and Sirius in the Forbidden Forest they seemed real enough to me."

"Perhaps they were. If I'm right and the Peverell Brothers did summon an Outsider to create the Deathly Hallows, it may have had the power to reach across the various dimensions to those who have died," Ivy explained. "The reason the White Council fears these demons so much is because their god-like status makes them impervious to power of normal magic. But in São Paulo you were able to use the Elder Wand to accomplish something even the members of the White Council are unable to do: you harmed and then killed an Outsider."

"I had plenty of help with that," Harry insisted. "So you really think the Dementors are a weak subspecies of these Outsiders?"

"All of your normal spells are useless against them, which means they fit the profile," Ivy pointed out. "Only the Patronus Charm—which was created under mysterious circumstances during the lifetime of the Peverells—is effective against Dementors. I believe the three brothers created the Charm to trap the Outsider they summoned, and then forced the monster to create the Deathly Hallows for them."

The next day the Legion of Light rose to face the horror of a three captured Dementors. It was amazing to watch powerful spells like the Reducto and the Confringo simply slip around the dark creatures without inflicting any damage. Even Fiendfyre only caused them to pause for a moment or two in midair before they continue to float unharmed around the new circular cages Ivy had devised.

"Alright everyone, playtime is over! Let's see your Patronus Charms in action against a live target."

According to Kincaid, Harry should have left training duties like this in the hands of his newly chosen centurions, but he enjoyed teaching so much that he tended to ignore that advice. There were only about two hundred legionnaires at this point, so it was still possible for the General to offer personal help to anyone who was having problems.

"Sir, is it true you faced a hundred of these things and drove them away while you were still at Hogwarts?" a young witch asked as the training session entered its second hour. The presence of the Dementors was causing her to shiver despite the searing heat of the Sahara.

"No, there couldn't have been any more than thirty of them," Harry replied to much laughter.

"Bullshit," someone muttered in a loud voice.

Kincaid had repeatedly told Harry that he could not tolerate disrespect in any form from his subordinates, or else he would quickly lose control of the Legion. Punishing the heckler would not solve the problem, but humiliating the bastard would. But how could he do that? The answer came to him at once, but it would only work if Ivy's pet theory about the Deathly Hallows was correct. The question was did he truly trust his wife's judgment?

Harry drew the Elder Wand and pointed it at one of the Dementors. "Avada Kedavra"

When the green light hit the monster it immediately fell to the floor of the cage, and stopped moving. The whole Legion stood there silently in shock for a minute until their young General turned to face them.

"Come on people, we haven't got all day."

* * *

Ebenezer McCoy walked into his Missouri farmhouse one evening to find his grandson Harry Dresden sitting in the well-stocked library reading a first-edition of Mark Twain's novel _Tom Sawyer_. Bob the skull was engrossed in a rare illustrated copy of _Fanny Hill_, while Mouse the dog was sleeping on his back with his four huge paws hanging in the air. None of the three noticed the presence of the old wizard until he cleared his throat.

"Hello Sir," Dresden said as the lights in Bob's empty sockets quickly vanished. Mouse opened his eyes for a moment but then fell back to sleep.

"Hoss, what the hell are you doing here? The wards around this farm could have easily killed you."

"Don't you remember teaching me how to get through the backdoor?" Dresden asked, silently praying that his grandfather hadn't noticed Bob.

"Of course I remember, I'm not senile yet," Ebenezer snapped. "But I also remember teaching you that a good wizard changes his defensive ward schemes every few months to confuse his enemies. It was a stupid risk you took coming here."

"I had no where else to go. Maggie is upstairs sleeping."

That bit of information caused the old wizard to plop down on one of the large leather chairs. "I thought you handed my great-granddaughter over to that priest from Catholic Church, so they could hide her from your enemies?"

Dresden was silent for several minutes as he struggled with a painful decision. "Sir, do you know who Thomas Raith really is?"

"Hoss, did I ever strike you as a fool? Of course I know!" Ebenezer yelled. "And it doesn't change a God damn thing. He is a vampire like his bastard of a father and deserves to die."

"That is almost exactly what the Ivy said to me. I told her she would have to kill me first if she wanted to hurt Thomas."

"You actually threaten the Archive? That has to be the stupidest thing you have ever done, and you have done a shitload of stupid things during your short time here on Earth. Hell, I'm the Blackstaff of the White Council, and that slip of a girl would mop the floor with me in a fight."

"All she did was laugh in my face," Dresden admitted.

"Then considered yourself lucky," Ebenezer said. "Now what does the Vampire have to do Maggie being here?"

"Ivy said I should ask myself why Thomas was so important to me. Why was I willing to overlook that fact that he is basically a serial killer?" Dresden explained. "The first answer that sprang to mind was that he is the only family I have, but that isn't true anymore. I have Maggie now. I was so furious with Susan for keeping her away from me, but after holding her in my arms for less than an hour I sent her away. I washed my hands of responsibility for my own daughter, for my own flesh and blood."

"You did it to protect her."

"Sir, with all due respect that is load of crap and we both know it. My enemies... our enemies got to her once, and there is no reason at all they couldn't do it again. It wouldn't even be that difficult. The going rate for buying one of the Denarian coins from the Vatican is two million, so I figured that the cost of Maggie's address was probably about twenty grand. The only way for me to protect my daughter is to act like a real father, and that means keeping her by my side."

Ebenezer closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. "How would you like some help?"

"Sir, you are a senior member of the White Council. I don't think you have any free time available for babysitting duties."

"Not any more. My status as the Blackstaff is a closely guarded secret known only to the members of the Senior Council," Ebenezer explained. "When Gregori Cristos joined the Senior Council he learned the truth and demanded that I resign. He felt that since I regularly break the Laws of Magic I should have no part in making policy. He threaten to leave the White Council, and take his followers with him if one of his allies from India wasn't allowed to replace me."

"And you actually gave in to his ultimatum?" Dresden asked incredulously.

"If I hadn't resigned it might have caused a civil war to break out, and that would have destroyed the White Council forever."

"You have always told me that the Merlin and Ancient Mai have been close allies for over three hundred years. So if Cristos and the Merlin are really members of the Black Council then they control four of the seven votes on the Senior Council, which means they now control the White Council itself," a stunned Dresden pointed out.

"Hoss, we don't have any solid evidence that either man is a traitor. Personally I think that Cristos is just a stupid idiot being used by our enemies," Ebenezer said with a grimace. "Meanwhile Injun Joe, Martha Liberty, and the Gatekeeper are all with us. So if the Merlin is still on our side then we still have control of the White Council. I betting that he is, which is why I went along with this farce."

"But Sir, what if you're wrong? What if the Merlin really is a member of the Black Council?"

"Then we are all knee-deep in shit and sinking fast," Ebenezer replied. "Now why don't you tell me exactly when and where you found that talking skull over there."


	13. Chapter 13

Seeing no way around his grandfather's question, Dresden decided to brazen it out. "Sir, this is Bob the skull. Bob, this is Ebenezer McCoy."

"So nice to meet you," Bob said in his usual chipper voice. "Before you obliterate me you should know that your grandson thinks the world of you. If it wasn't for your guidance, I honestly feel he would have turned to Black Magic years ago.

"Bob don't be ridiculous, no one is going to hurt you," Dresden told him. Then he looked over at his grandfather's face and realized he was about to lose one of his best friends.

"Justine DuMorne told me that he had found the shattered remnants of this thing in Kemmler's old fortress. But he kept it instead, didn't he?" Ebenezer asked coldly. "And then you stole it from DuMorne before his house burned down. Do you have any concept of how dangerous that skull is?"

Heinrich Kemmler was considered one of the worst necromancers ever to rebel against the White Council. He had been killed not once, but several times over the course of a hundred years. The warlock had even played a major role in starting the First World War, and one of the main reasons for his improbable success was his use of Bob's vast repository of magical knowledge.

"No, not at first," Dresden answered truthfully. "Bob has all the knowledge he gained while studying with Kemmler locked away. I allowed him to access that part of himself once, and it completely changed his behavior. He almost killed me."

"I know you won't believe this Mr McCoy, but I truly hate that knowledge and how it twists and corrupts my personality. I would prefer that it remained untouched forever," Bob explained.

"But you really don't have any choice in the matter, do you?" Ebenezer asked. "Whoever controls the skull controls you, and they can force you to answer any questions they want."

"Yes, I am afraid you are correct," Bob admitted.

"Defeating Kemmler took the Council decades and cost us the lives of over thirty Wardens, many of whom were close friends of mine. As long as this thing exists there is a chance that a new necromancer could rise up to take Kemmler's place, and that would be a disaster for whole world. I'm sorry Hoss, but it has to be done," the old wizard said as he raised his outstretched hand in the air.

"My Za Lord, my Za Lord they are coming!" a large drew drop fairy shouted as it flew through one of the open windows and began buzzing around the library with its dragonfly wings.

Instead of crushing Bob, Ebenezer gently seized the small pixie and placed him on the table. "Is this another friend of ours?"

"Yeah, we go way back. This is Toot-toot. He used to help me out with my investigations back in Chicago, and he agreed to keep watch over the farm tonight," Dresden replied before turning to fifteen-inch tall fairy. "Now who exactly is coming this way?"

"The undead!" Toot shrieked. "Thousands of them!"

"That is impossible," Dresden said. "Ebenezer has lived in this part of Missouri for centuries, and if were was an army of zombies around here he would know about it."

"It happened just an hour ago!" Toot shouted. "A tall wizard caused a cloud of horrible death to spread over the small city on the other side of that mountain."

"Nerve gas," Ebenezer muttered. "The Red Court Vampires used it against us during the war, so it shouldn't be surprising that the Black Council would use it here too. Sweet Lord, are you sure everyone in Branson is dead?"

Toot nodded his small head at a furious pace. "All the people fell to the ground, and when they stood up again they were undead!"

"That town had a population of over five thousand people, and now they are marching up Route 65 as zombies?"

"Yes!" Toot shouted again. "And they will be here soon!"

"Sir, is it even possible to create that many zombies at once?" Dresden asked. "I can't even begin to imagine the power needed for a spell of that magnitude."

"Why do you think I settled here in the first place? This farm sits on a Ley Line which runs from the Ozarks to the New Madrid Fault line. If I can use it to power my wards there is no reason a skilled necromancer can't use it to create an undead army," Ebenezer explained. "Now wake my granddaughter, get her dress, and bring her down here."

"Are we leaving for Nevernever?"

"Whoever planned this attack knows me personally, so their first move would have been to block the local exits to Nevernever. Now stop asking questions, and get your ass moving!"

There were times being nearly seven feet tall was a hassle, but at other times it was very useful. Dresden took the steps four at a time, and reached his daughter's room in less than ten seconds. Margaret Angelica Dresden was already awake and putting on a small pair of leather boots.

"The monsters are here again, aren't they?" the nine year-old girl asked in an unnaturally calm voice.

Even if Dresden had years of parental experience—and he didn't—there was no good way to answer that question. Shortly after her birth Maggie had been placed with a foster family. When the Red Court Vampires had kidnapped her they savagely tore that family limb from limb right in front of her eyes. Then she had spent a week surrounded by those same vampires, who repeatedly taunted her by explaining in graphic detail how they were going cut out her heart. The physiological damage she had suffered during the past year would take decades to heal... if it ever healed at all.

"I stopped those other monsters, and I promise you that I will stop these monsters too," Dresden said as desperately tried not to cry. "My grandfather is here with us now, and he is the toughest wizard I have ever met. Between the two of us there is no way anything is going to hurt you. I promise."

The two made their way back downstairs, and found Ebenezer in the kitchen with all their magical gear. "Your little friend Toot isn't exactly a rocket scientist, and he doesn't know which kind of zombies we are facing. So I want you to send Bob out on a reconnaissance mission. I need any details he can give me."

"You heard the man," Dresden said as a mass of orange light exited the skull and flew through the door into the night.

"Come on, we are heading out to the barn."

"We are abandoning the farmhouse and its threshold?"

"A house as old and well-constructed as this place would be the obvious place to make a last stand," Ebenezer observed with a smile. "Which is why all my magical defenses are centered on a dilapidated barn out in the middle of the wheat field. As a rule zombies are stupid son of bitches, and forcing their master to redirect his attack should buy us some time."

Mouse looked as tense as Dresden had ever seen him, and the huge dog took point without being asked. As the three humans followed him out to the barn the older wizard paused for a moment to raise his staff. Suddenly the eyes of every cow, pig, chicken, and duck on the large farm began to glow with a reddish color. At the same time several dozen boulders scattered around perimeter started to move; slowly the unfolded into large but headless stone bodies.

"I recognize the golems, but what the hell did you just do to all your livestock?" Dresden asked.

"Whenever an animal is born on this farm I mark its body with a cluster of runes. It allows them to be possessed by a host of minor demons I trapped in a nearby cave a few years ago. And watch your tongue, there is a young lady present," Ebenezer snapped.

"Sir, do you mean we are now being protected by an army of demonic cows and ducks?"

"Hoss, you ever been pecked at by a duck's beak? Let me tell you, it's not a pleasant experience."

When Dresden was a teenager he had spent nearly two years on this farm, and had been inside the old barn hundreds of times. But before his eyes the entire structure began to shift and change as several illusions began to disappear. In the place of rotted timbers were steel I-beams, and the wooden side-panels became stone walls several feet thick. Even the floor changed from dirt to concrete. They walked up to the second floor which had a series of tiny, evenly spaced windows on all four of the walls.

"Sir, how in the world did you maintain a complex illusions like that for all these years?"

"Very carefully," Ebenezer replied as he sat down on the floor cross-legged. "Now be quiet while I bring the wards around the farm up to their full strength."

"What are wards?" Maggie asked in a whisper.

"Well, they are like deflector shields."

"What are deflector shields?"

This question shocked Dresden. "Are you telling me you have never watched _Star Wars_?"

"No, my old parents use to say that those movies were full of racist stereotypes, and that the actors were all terrible."

"Damn George Lucas and his stupid prequels," the young wizard muttered under his breath.

Suddenly a strange noise in the distance caught Dresden's attention, and he rushed over to one of the small windows. It was difficult to see in the darkness, but the moon was giving off just enough light to make out what was going on. The spectacle reminded Dresden of popcorn popping, but instead of kernels of corn, zombies were being popped into showers of flesh and blood. The process was repeating itself all around them, and he realized that the farm was now surrounded.

"Sir, how long will this hold them back?"

"It depends on how well those things were made," Ebenezer replied as he got to his feet. "If this attack is well-coordinated than the ward will last no more than ten minutes before the continuous use finally overwhelms it."

Bob picked that moment to return to his skull with some bad news. "Those suckers are Chinese Qi Warriors, the best I have ever seen. It's like a Marine Corps dress parade out there."

"Did you see any one who wasn't dead?" Dresden asked.

"Yeah, there is a tall guy wearing a dark robe. But I didn't want to risk getting too close, so I never saw his face."

"Cowl," Ebenezer and Dresden said at the same time.

"Yes, it would take one of Kemmler's most talented disciples to pull off something this large and complex," Bob agreed.

The next ten minutes were strangely calm. The zombies continued to pop, but that was the only sounds they heard. Ebenezer took the time to open up a hidden basement beneath the barn. It was stocked with a large number of conventional weapons which included over a hundred M72 anti-tanks weapons, thirty loaded Milkor grenade launchers, and a number of heavy machines guns.

"This isn't quite was I was expecting." Dresden said as they carried the various weapons up to the second floor. Mouse was standing guard next to Maggie while they worked.

"I told you that whoever planned this attack knows me personally. The Blackstaff is a powerful tool, but it can only be used to kill things that are alive," Ebenezer explained.

"Which means it's totally useless against these zombies."

"Exactly. So not only is this undead army ideal for overpowering my wards, it's also impervious to my strongest magical attacks. Fortunately I'm aware of my own tactical weaknesses, and have prepared for situations like this. Hence the need for all this non-magical firepower."

"That all makes sense, but isn't a missile launcher a bit much?" Dresden asked as he extended a M72 to its full length.

"Hoss, when you are dealing with my kind of enemies a simple .44 Magnum isn't going to cut it," Ebenezer replied.

After about twelve minutes the outer ward did fall. It was then that the demonically-possessed farm animals and the stone golems began their counterattack. It's easy to overlook, but a grown cow can weigh over fifteen-hundred pounds. When something that large runs over a hundred pound woman the results aren't pretty. But even worse were the ducks. Dresden would never be able to look at the small waterfowl the same way again after seeing them decapitate several zombies with nothing more than their beaks. The chickens seem to prefer plucking out eyes and tongues, while the pigs had a taste for bloody intestines.

The golems were simply magnificent. Their stone limbs gracefully crushed four or five zombies with each stroke. Despite the carnage they caused, even they fell before the endless stream of the undead just as the farm animals did. Bob was right: their opponents were moving with the precision of a well-trained army.

"Remember to use up all these weapons before resorting to your staff," Ebenezer said as he used a long chain turned on an overhead exhaust fan. "We have to conserve our strength for as long as possible."

Using a M72 was easy. In fact it was disturbingly easy to use. As he moved from window to window Dresden wondered why criminals of Chicago hadn't used missile launchers during their wars against Marcone's gang. Even Gentleman Johnny would be nervous about being on the receiving end of one of these things. After they ran out of missiles they switched over to the grenade launchers. The high explosive rounds were very effective, but the zombies kept on coming in wave after wave.

"Sir, we are almost out," Dresden yelled over the explosions. "Do you have any suggestions on which spells to use?"

"I'm not done yet," Ebenezer yelled back. "When I rebuilt this barn back during the seventies I added ten cisterns to the concrete foundation, and they are all full of napalm. I will get the stuff moving and you will ignite it when it hits those bastards."

"Holy shit, you have your own supply of napalm?"

"Yeah, and it's the new and improved version too. It burns for a couple of minutes instead of a couple seconds like the old stuff from the sixties."

Dresden had no idea how his grandfather did it, but the old wizard somehow forced the thick liquid out of the underground cisterns and sent it hundreds of yards into the air. His part of the plan was much simpler.

"Pyrofuego!"

The lance of fire from his blasting rod quickly reached the flying stream of napalm, and the resulting explosions rocked the barn. In truth it properly rocked half of Missouri. The two wizards repeated the process until all ten cisterns were empty.

"Push the fire out away from us!" Ebenezer yelled.

"Ventas Servitas!" Dresden roared as he held his staff aloft. The powerful gusts of wind did push the fire outwards, but it also made it impossible to see what was going on. "Bob! Fly as high as you can, and see if you can find out what's going on!"

The huge fires were still raging when Bob returned a few minutes later. "There were five thousand of them when this mess started, but now there are only about five hundred of them left."

"I don't know about you, but it has been a long day and I don't have much left in the tank," Dresden said as he leaned on his staff. "And even if we deal with the rest of the zombies, Cowl is still waiting out there to finish us off. So what is our next move?"

"We wait for the cavalry to arrive," Ebenezer replied.

"Sir, even if we would get word to Edinburgh it would still take the Wardens an hour to get here, and then they would fight their way through whatever is blocking the local passages to Nevernever."

"Hoss, I wasn't speaking metaphorically."

Suddenly the fires raging all around the barn vanished. One second they were there, and the next second they were gone. After their eyes adjusted to the darkness two groups were clearly visible in the night. One was the five hundred or so zombies left standing. The other was a group of one hundred centaurs being lead by the Queen of Summer herself. At Titania's signal her troopers raised their wooden clubs and charged.

"Get Maggie to Nevernever, and remember that keeping her safe is now your highest priority," Ebenezer said as the Blackstaff appeared in his hand. "You'll need a diversion, so I'm going to go teach that bastard Cowl what happens to warlocks who try to invade the great state of Missouri."

When they opened the barn's steel door they were greeted with a strange sight. Fix—the new Summer Knight—had stopped wearing shoes several years ago. Even during a Chicago blizzard the young man had walked around in his bare feet. Now it was clear why: both his hands and feet were covered with red-hot flames.

"That is a neat trick you got there," Dresden said as Ebenezer walked off into the night. The centaurs had crushed most of the remaining zombies with their huge clubs, but there still a sizable number left out there. Dresden knew his grandfather could take care of himself, but he still worried about the his safety.

"It's pretty useful in a fight... or if you want to light up a smoke," Fix replied. "Come on, Queen Titania wants to met little Maggie, and you have her word that no harm will come either of you."

During the short walk they were attacked several times, but between Mouse and the Summer Knight nothing could slow them down. After guarding Maggie all night the Temple Dog was eager for a brawl, and Fix's new flaming fists could cause a zombie to explode with nothing more than a quick jab. Maggie ignored the fighting, and instead was staring at the Sidhe and her huge white stallion in the distance.

"I know you," she said when they finally reached Titania.

"Of course you do child, I have visited you many times before," the smiling Queen replied as she lifted Maggie up on to her horse with one hand. Once the girl was firmly in the saddle she kissed her on the forehead. "Sleep now, my great-granddaughter."

Dresden's first instinct was to call her a liar, but then he remembered that a Sidhe could not lie. They took great joy in deceiving mortals with word games and innuendo, but their sense of honor would not allow them to speak a blatant falsehood. When he thought about it for a second it all made sense, in a sick sort of way.

"I thought you were married to King Oberon?"

"I am, but my Lord Husband has taken countless lovers over the millennia and allows me the same privilege," Titania explained as she raised a transparent shield over their party. "It was Ebenezer McCoy's duel against a warlock in 1811 which first caught my attention. It caused an earthquake which was felt for hundreds of leagues in every direction. For a mere mortal to have such raw power... I found it intoxicating."

Dresden didn't know whether to be impressed that his grandfather had bagged a Sidhe Queen or nauseated that he was related by blood to this inhuman thing. "I suppose it's not surprising that you did nothing to rescue Maggie when she was kidnapped by the Red Court Vampires."

"You called for Mab's aid, not mine," Titania said dismissively as she stroked the sleeping girl's hair. On the other side of the corn field a massive surge of magic slammed into the ground, shooting tons of dirt into the air. "It seems that Ebenezer has blocked the Necromancer's escape and is forcing him to duel."

"I take it you aren't going to help him either?" Dresden asked as he studied the shield. There was no way for him to get around it.

"Ebenezer would only consider it an insult if I interfered."

That was probably true. "Why have you been visiting Maggie?"

"Your daughter's health is very delicate," Titania replied. "You are a powerful if clumsy wizard, and Susan Rodriguez was already a vampire when you impregnated her. Added to this was the Sidhe blood you received from me through your mother. These various supernatural elements are not compatible."

Dresden was so concerned by this information that he barely noticed the bolt of lightning that lit up the sky. "Is she going to get sick?"

"No. I have stabilized her condition, but there will be long-term side-effects for your daughter. Perhaps you should have thought about that before you bound Miss Rodriguez's hands with magical rope, and then fornicated with her."

"Wow Harry, you never struck me as the bondage type," the Summer Knight remarked as another explosion rocked the farm.

"Fix, you may have the "Flaming Fists of Fury" now, but I can still kick your ass all the way back to Chicago," Dresden growled. "So what kind of side-effects are we talking about here?"

"Maggie will develop several abilities which are associated with vampires, such as greater strength and faster reflexes. While she won't need human blood to survive, she will have a strong desire for it," Titania explained. "It will take a great deal of training and self-discipline for her to keep her instincts under control."

The Summer Knight was impressed. "That is so cool. Little Maggie Dresden is a Daywalker."

The only thing that saved the Knight from a horrible death at the hands of a very angry father was yet another explosion. This one was by far the most devastating. It greatly strained the Queen's protective shield, and leveled every single tree and man-made structure on the farm.

"He hasn't done that since the Tunguska duel of 1908," Titania remarked with obvious pride as she lowered the shield. "Come Dresden, let us go and see if your grandfather is still alive."

That turned out to be a difficult question to answer, since Ebenezer McCoy's body was now completely enclosed in a cocoon of black energy. However there was no doubt about the fate of Cowl. He might have been a gifted Necromancer, but even he couldn't survive being reduced from three dimensions to only two.


	14. Chapter 14

"Lasciel, do you actually expect me to join this "Circle" of yours?" Nicodemus asked as they lounged on pillows in his huge Tokyo penthouse. Despite the Denarian's tendency to make racist comments about the Japanese, he actually adored their elegant lifestyle and the sprawling megalopolis that was their capital city. "When my wife Tessa learned what they were planning she came running back to me with her tail between her legs, begging for forgiveness. These new allies of yours are insane."

"My old friend, I could not agree with you more," Lasciel replied using Elaine's voice. This meeting was far too delicate to be conducted by a human being only in her thirties, so the ancient Fallen Angel had taken control of her host's body until they were both out of danger. "And that is precisely the reason Namshiel and I have joined them. If the situation spirals out of control—and we both fear that it will—then we shall be in the perfect position to seize control of their organization."

Nicodemus smiled. "So that was Namshiel's game all along: a coup. I was just wondering how he convinced someone of your intelligence to take part in such a reckless gambit."

"The Circle's methods may be too extreme, but their goals are quite admirable," Lasciel remarked.

"You always were a romantic, and I suppose having such a young host has only made you more so. Is it true that she was raised alongside of the wizard Harry Dresden?" Nicodemus asked as he rubbed the fresh scar around his neck.

Lasciel gestured towards a collection of antique swords hanging on the wall, and used her Hellfire to burn her personal signet into each one of the priceless blades. It was a display of magical dexterity which none of the current Denarians could hope to match, not even Namshiel or Tessa. "Do not play games with my host. With her strength and my experience we are more than a match for you in single combat."

"I stopped believing in fair fights a long time ago," Nicodemus said as a sliding door opened to reveal ten of the remaining Denarians, who had been waiting in the next room. Even though Elaine had accepted a coin, none of them were happy to see a woman who was known to be an ally of both Dresden and the Archive.

"**Lasciel, they are going to kill us**," a frightened Elaine said mentally to her Fallen Angel.

"**Calm down. This is just a bit of political theater Nicodemus is providing for his followers. He fully intends to take the deal, even if the others object to it.**"

"**But he must know that you are setting a trap for him**."

"**Of course he does, my child**," Lasciel replied. "**However he wants to join the Circle, and is planning on using us to gain access to its leaders. Neither of us is being honest with the other, but that is to be expected when you are dealing with a fellow Denarian**."

"What do you all think of her offer?" Nicodemus asked his lackeys. The mental conversation between Elaine and Lasciel had taken only a second, and the others hadn't noticed a thing.

"How can you be so certain that the Circle has successfully infiltrated the White Council?" one of the Denarians asked. "We have attempted to do that for well over a thousand years without any meaningful success."

"The Circle didn't have to infiltrate the White Council because it was founded by wizards who were already members of the Council," Lasciel explained. "They have been plotting for over sixty years to take control without any bloodshed, and this past month they finally accomplished that goal."

That bit of intelligence got everyone's undivided attention. "Are you telling us that a majority of the Senior Council are actually members of the Circle?"

"Yes, I am," Lasciel said. "The Red Court Vampires have been exterminated, the Sidhe of Winter are in a state of upheaval, and the White Council is finally under their control. The Circle is now the preeminent supernatural power both here on Earth and in Nevernever. If the Order of the Blackened Denarius stands united once again, we can push these presumptuous wizards aside and assume control over that they have created."

"**There is no possibility that greedy fools will refuse the bait now**," Elaine's host mentally purred.

"The Circle obviously wants something of value from us, or they wouldn't have made this offer," Nicodemus pointed out. "Especially after Tessa turned them down once already."

"That is true. The price they are demanding before you are allowed to join is one of the three Holy Swords."

This statement made many of the Denarians very nervous. They would have to come out from behind their impressive wards if they wanted to attract the attention of the Knights of the Cross. And if they came out of hiding then there was a chance they would have to face the Archive in battle again. The girl had Nicodemus and the others so terrified that they even refused to speak her name aloud. One would think that after thousands of years of life the Fallen Angels would be ready to face death without fear, but that wasn't the case at all.

"This task shouldn't be too difficult," Lasciel added. "I saw the three Knights in São Paulo this past September, and none of them impressed me. Sanya is the only one we have to worry about, and since the Russian is a former Denarian we are all aware of his strengths and weaknesses."

"Does the Circle have any idea where the Knights of the Cross are right now?' Nicodemus asked. "I don't fancy the idea of having to chase them around the world."

"All three have been based in Chicago for the last two or three months, so it should be possible to catch at least one of them there."

* * *

As if by some divine coincidence it was that exact moment when the doors to penthouse's private elevator opened. Inside were all three of the Knights of the Cross dressed in very modern armor. The twelve Denarians were experienced warriors, but this was too much of a shock even for them. They froze for a second, and a second was all the youngest and least experienced of the Knights needed. With a barely audible pop Neville Longbottom apparated to a spot on the far side of the room behind one of the Denarians. Then with a single stroke of his sword Amoracchius he cut the Fallen Angel's host clean in half.

Nicodemus knew instantly what he was facing and how to counter the threat. However by the time he had shouted "Raise a ward!" Neville had apparated to another spot in the room, and finished off a second opponent with another stroke.

Sanya and Karrin Murphy were also doing their part as the penthouse erupted into chaos. With the element of surprise still on their side they each managed to bring down a Denarian with their swords Esperacchius and Fidelacchius. Neville got in one last apparition before Lasciel cast a perfect ward over the entire thirty-story apartment building which blocked all forms of magical travel. His third target put up more of a fight, but again his ancient broadsword proved its worth.

Despite having lost five of his soldiers in less than five seconds Nicodemus refused to panic. He knew Hellfire and magic would be totally useless against these Holy Swords, so hand-to-hand combat was their only option. "Shape-shift and use the limited space to our advantage!" he shouted in Ancient Greek.

In an instant five of the Denarian's human hosts morphed into a mixture of demonic monsters, each one more repulsive than the last. One or two of them might have weighed close to ton, and their size quickly placed Sanya and Neville on the defensive. But Murphy was another story. It had been centuries since the Denarians had faced a female Knight, and none of those other women had a fraction of the former police detective's martial arts training. With her small stature she was able to outmaneuver the demons, and their claws could do nothing to stop Fidelacchius' slashing attacks.

"**I think we should leave**,**" **Elaine told Lasciel. **"Right now**."

"**I agree with you my child. Our mission here is complete**," the Fallen Angel replied as she used a blast of Hellfire to destroy one of the huge windows overlooking Tokyo Bay. Lasciel then shaped-shifted into her demonic form: a harpy with a huge wings instead of arms and razor-sharp talons instead of legs.

However a moment before she leapt into the night sky a scream caught her attention. Ordiel had just bitten through Neville's kevlar-and-steel armor, and ripped away an impressive chunk of flesh from the boy's side. In retaliation the wizard drew his wand and blew a hole in his attacker's chest by casting a Reducto Curse at point-blank range. Murphy made it to his side just in time to stop another Denarian from finishing him off. Neville tried to curse this new demon, but it brushed aside his magic like it was an annoying bug.

"**Perhaps we can spare a minute or two to see how this little skirmish turns out****?** **We might be able to claim one of the Holy Swords for ourselves while Nicodemus is busy**. **A prize like that would greatly enhance our status within the Circle**."

"**Fine**, **b****ut I am not fighting the Knights of the Cross**," Elaine snapped. "**Harry would never forgive me if I killed his precious police officer**."

While Murphy was trying to protect Neville, Sanya was using his sabre Esperacchius against two of the larger Denarians. He was barely holding his own, which allowed Nicodemus to approach him from behind and drive an antique Japanese wakizashi right into his back. Somehow the Russian was able to ignore the pain just long enough to decapitate both of demons in front of him before falling to the ground.

"That sword stroke was a thing of beauty," an impressed Nicodemus remarked as he watched the bloody heads of his two followers roll across the floor. "It seems you haven't forgotten everything we taught you during our time together."

"In all the years I held one of your coins I learned only one lesson of value," Sanya said as blood started flowing from his mouth. "And that was that every single member of the Order of the Blackened Denarius deserves to be slaughtered like the filthy animals that you are."

"That's not a very Christian thing to say, now is it?" Nicodemus asked with a smirk as he cleaned the blood off his wakizashi. "What would your exalted Master do if he heard that kind of talk from one of his Knights of the Cross?"

"He would send me."

Murphy, Neville, Sanya, Nicodemus, and Lasciel all turned to look at the new arrival. The man wasn't tall or muscular or handsome, but something in his regal bearing allowed him to completely dominate the large penthouse. He was also causally holding two of the wounded Denarians by the neck. They were desperately trying to escape from his grasp, but failing miserably.

"Hello Michael," Sanya said as more blood ran down his chin. "It was been a long time since Malta, hasn't it?"

"These are troubling times, even for the Angels of the Almighty."

"**Is that really the Archangel Michael?" **a shocked Elaine asked.

"**Yes, it is**,**" **Lasciel replied through their mental connection. "**It's never a good sign when the Prince of Heaven descends to Earth**."

"**I imagine it's a waste of time trying to fly away from an angel?"**

"**If Michael wants to kill us there is absolutely nothing we or anyone else can do to stop him**,**" **Lasciel explained to her host in a resigned voice. "**Nothing at all**."

Nicodemus didn't seem to share his fellow Denarian's opinion, and his magical shadow slowly began to move towards the Archangel. Michael wasn't even looking at the floor, but he still managed to destroy the creäture with nothing more than a soft tap of his foot. The loss of his shadow caused Nicodemus to drop to his knees and scream out in pain.

"Anduriel, I defeated your wretched master and cast his broken body down into Pit of Hell. Do you honestly believe I could be bested by a cowering slave like you?" Michael asked. Then with a simple twist of his wrists he broke the necks of the two captive Denarians.

Nicodemus slowly got to his feet, and when he spoke it was with the voice of his Fallen Angel Anduriel. "Kill me if you must, but don't expect me to listen to anymore of your self-righteous drivel. I refused to obey a fool like you back then, and I still refuse to now."

Michael gestured with his hand, and all ten of the Denarian corpses vanished along with their coins. "I have come here tonight with a warning for you: as of this moment the last seven Denarians are bound to your current hosts. The coins will no longer allow you to ensnare a new mortal, so when your host dies so shall you."

"Changing the ground rules of our sick little game after all these years?" Nicodemus sneered. "What brought this about?"

"Lasciel, take him and go," Michael commanded. "Your immortal souls will face judgment soon enough. But not tonight."

Nicodemus reluctantly climbed on the harpy's back. Even with the extra weight Lasciel had no problem soaring into the night sky, and the pair quickly disappeared from sight. The Archangel then walked over to Neville, who was lying in a large pool of his own blood. Murphy was holding his head in her arms trying to comfort him, since it was clear to her that the boy was about to die.

"Why did you let those two bastards go?" she asked.

"When you were an officer of the law did you simply execute every criminal you came across on the street?"

"No, it would have been a violation of my oath of office," Murphy admitted. "Please tell me you can save him."

"Not directly, but I can teach him to magically heal himself," Michael explained. "Take out your wand Neville Longbottom, and then concentrate on the wound in your side."

The wizard was so pale and weak that even holding his wand was a struggle. "I was never any good at healing spells. I was never really good at anything but Herbology."

"Shut up rookie, you were brilliant today," Murphy said as she continued to hold him upright. "It was only your second time in the field as a Knight, but you managed to take out four of those things. I only got one."

"I have seen a great many Knights in my time, and I must agree your friend: you have a tremendous amount of potential," Michael said as he gently placed his hand on the boy's forehead. "Now concentrate as hard as you can on that wound."

Neville's wand started to glow as he automatically recited several words in Latin. The spell quickly took effect, and his whole body began to shake uncontrollably. After only a few seconds of these convulsions he finally lost consciousness. When Murphy wiped away the blood from his side she found that the large bite had been completely healed.

"That's incredible!"

"It is also very painful and magically exhausting—even for a wizard as powerful as young Neville," Michael explained. "When the boy wakes up tell him that healing spell is only to be used in the direst of circumstances."

"I don't suppose you have any magic tricks up your sleeve to help me?" a smiling Sanya asked. He looked even worse than Neville had a few seconds ago.

"No," Michael said in a tender voice full of compassion. "I am afraid that it is your time."

"I still don't believe in Heaven or Hell. And to be perfectly honest, I still don't believe that you are really an angel."

"That is alright," the Archangel said as he effortlessly gathered the huge Russian Knight in his arms. "Because I have always believed in you."

By now Karrin Murphy was seconds away from losing it, but somehow she managed to hold back the tears. "I really hate myself for asking this question, but what are you going to do with Esperacchius?"

Michael nodded, and the sword in question disappeared from Sanya's hand. "You have my word that a new Knight will take up Esperacchius, but I am afraid you and Neville will be on your own for a time."

"I sure they will find a way to keep themselves busy," Sanya said in a very weak voice.

Despite the awful situation Murphy couldn't help but laugh. "A vow of celibacy is a bit much to ask of the Knights of the Cross, isn't it?"

"I never lasted for more than a week myself, and even that saint Michael Carpenter has seven children," Sanya pointed out before coughing up yet more blood. "Take care of Neville. I just know in my bones that there is something very special about him."

"That is more true that you can possible know," the Archangel added cryptically.

Murphy knew she was being a fool as she looked down at her fellow Knight. At thirty-nine she had no business falling for a teenage boy, no matter how remarkable he was. She looked up to say her final goodbye to Sanya, but he and Michael had already vanished.


	15. Chapter 15

"Thanks for coming here today Hermione," Harry said as he sat down for tea and biscuits with his second oldest friend and her beloved elf. "I have a feeling that this meeting will be unpleasant for all of us."

"Think nothing of it. Ginny and the surviving Weasleys are important to me as well," the Winter Knight told him. "Beside Kreacher and I wanted to see the fortifications you constructed for the Legion of Light, so we could compare them to our own. You and Ivy have done some amazing work here, especially considering that we are in the middle of the Sahara Desert, hundreds of kilometers from any major cities."

"Kincaid swears that construction work is an excellent form of training for the legionnaires," Harry joked. "So the dark elves now have a fortress in Nevernever?"

"My people have agreed to fight beside the Sidhe of Winter in the coming war, and as a result Queen Maeve gifted us with a mountain range on the edge of her territory," Lord Kreacher explained. "We are now in the process of building the fortified city of Gygax beneath its highest and most majestic peak."

"The dark elf architecture is highly functional yet beautiful at the same time," Hermione added. "I can understand now why the Founders of Hogwarts enslaved Kreacher's ancestors. Those four reprehensible barbarians never could have built the castle themselves."

"Maybe you should write a new edition of _Hogwarts: A History_ so that everyone will know the truth about what happened," Harry innocently suggested.

"I already have a full outline prepared, and the manuscript should be done in less than a year," Hermione assured him as her brown eyes began to glow with a disturbing light.

One of legionnaires knocked on the door before entering the General's office. "Sir, the chartered aeroplane has arrived from France. Your three guests brought the prisoner with them, and per your instructions I placed the man in one of the newly warded prison cells on the far-side of the cave complex."

"Well done. I will oversee his interrogation personally after this meeting in over. You many send in my guests now."

A few moments later Ginny, her bother Bill, and his wife Fleur entered the office. All three were having very different reactions to the current crisis. Ginny had clearly been crying recently, but Harry couldn't blame her for that. The agents of the Black Council had somehow managed to divert several gas mains beneath the streets of London directly into the British Ministry of Magic. A few wizards had noticed the smell and escaped, but the majority of the employees were still there when several remote-controlled bombs exploded. Molly had been visiting Arthur and Percy that day, and all three were among those burnt alive when the Ministry was temporarily converted into the world's largest gas-fired oven.

Bill was torn between comforting his little sister and keeping his enraged wife from cursing someone. Fleur's father had also been killed yesterday when over a hundred man-shaped creatures wearing grey suits and fedoras overran the French Ministry of Magic in Paris. Luckily one of the Aurors on duty had stunned the man controlling the inhuman "things" before they could massacre all the employees.

Ginny ran over to Hermione, and started crying again as they hugged. "I can't believe my parents and Percy are gone!"

"Fleur and Bill, you both have my deepest condolences," Harry told them. "Please sit down. Is there anything I can get for you?"

"Yes, you will allow me to kill that filthy English bastard who murdered my father," Fleur snarled.

"The bloke is a nutter," Bill added. "He keeps saying that he hasn't broken any of the "Laws of Magic"—whatever they are—and that we had better let him go. Do you have any idea what is going on about? Is any of this madness connected to the vampires who kidnapped Ron, George, and Charlie?"

"In a roundabout kind of way. These attacks are part of a war that has been going on for some time in the larger supernatural world," Harry explained. "That is why the ICW created the Legion of Light in the first place, so that we could defend ourselves from these types of outside threats."

"Well, I must say that so far you have failed to perform your duties!" Fleur hissed. "The magical governments in Asia were hit even harder than the ones in Europe, while the United States also suffered terrible losses. And to top it all off the ICW itself was destroyed while you sat here and did nothing!"

The attack on the International Confederation of Wizards had been simple, yet brutally effective. An unknown group of muggle mercenaries just stole six M109 howitzers from the Swiss Army, and drove them up to the alpine valley were the ICW was located. Once the wards were breached by a true wizard of the Black Council, the mercenaries had no problem shelling the ancient structure until nothing was left but rubble. Harry had personally scouted the area last night, and all he had found was the corpses of dead wizards and witches. The same true wizard who destroyed the wards must have also blocked floo system and their ability to apparate, which is what happened at the French Ministry as well.

"I only have four hundred legionnaires," Harry told the Veela. "And they are being trained to fight, not stand on guard duty."

"You _**had**_ four hundred legionnaires," Fleur pointed out with some relish. "Now that the ICW has been destroyed, your legal authority over this so-called Legion has been destroyed right along with it."

"Don't be ridiculous. I assumed the position of Supreme Mugwump this morning, and new Ambassadors from several countries have already arrived here in Chad. The ICW will be up-and-running again by the end of the week, and if anyone is foolish enough to attack my Camp they will be in for a series of unpleasant surprises," Harry told them.

"So you are now both the Supreme Mugwump and the leader of our military forces?" an anxious Bill asked. "That is a lot of political power concentrated in the hands of one wizard who hasn't even turned twenty yet."

"Remind me again: what exactly were you doing during the war against Voldemort?" Harry asked coldly. "Oh that's right, you were living at your lovely seaside cottage with your lovely Veela wife, while I was out trying to kill an insane Dark Lord. Hell, even Kreacher and the elves made more of a contribution to the Battle of Hogwarts than you or the Order of the Phoenix did."

"Very true, and we were only fighting with a small fraction of our magical strength at the time," the dark elf remarked.

"Dumbledore's leadership during the last war was criminally negligent," Hermione added. "He simply dumped the responsibility for defeating Voldemort on the shoulders of an inexperienced wizard whom he had barely trained at all."

"The enemy we are facing now is infinitely more dangerous, and if you expect me to defeat them by myself again you're delusional," Harry stated. "I was legally given command of the Legion, and I was legally chosen as the Supreme Mugwump. You can tell your friends back in France and Britain that if any bloody politician attempts to strip me of those positions I will respond with deadly force."

"So you now consider yourself the dictator of the magical world?" a furious Fleur asked.

Harry smiled as he thought back to Ivy's words all those months ago. "Not of the entire magical world, just our special corner of it. This war will require a strong leader, and for better or worse I'm now that leader."

* * *

"You are less than twenty-four hours from your first major battle. You don't have much time to waste on this piece of excrement," Ivy said as she studied their unconscious prisoner. "So I think you should open the interrogation with a lengthy Cruciatus Curse."

"Those are words I never thought I would hear from my wife," Harry muttered. "Maybe we should just try talking to him first?"

"Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you."

"Ennervate!"

"Where the hell am I?" the heavy-set man asked with a thick cockney accent. "And who the hell are you two?"

"You can't be serious. If this wanker is from the East End of London I will change Teddy's dirty nappies for a month without using any magic," an annoyed Harry said to his wife.

Ivy smiled. "Ernest Armand Tinwhistle was born in Cornwall to Sir Philip Tinwhistle and his wife Georgiana. The Tinwhistle Family made their fortune several generations ago in the textile industry, but they have managed to hang on to over ten thousand acres along the southern coast despite the Inheritance Tax. Ernest here attended Dragon, Eton, and finally the London School of Economics before discovering his unique magical talents. He acts as a freelance mercenary by summoning creatures from Nevernever, and then binding them to his will. Hence the stupid nickname "Binder" which he prefers to go by."

"That is a rather impressive amount of intelligence you have on little old me," Binder replied, this time with a crisp BBC accent. "And this prison cell: I have never seen such a perfect circle before. You two must be Wardens of the White Council."

"Wrong," Harry said impatiently tapped the Elder Wand against his thigh. "Tell us the name of the person who hired you to hit that building in Paris."

"I didn't catch his name, or I would gladly give it to you. The bastard neglected to tell me that the building was full of your type of wizards," Binder replied as he pointed towards the Elder Wand. "Those sticks of yours aren't very powerful, but there had to be at least two-hundred wizards fighting back when my boys in grey finally made it inside."

"My wife thinks we should just torture you, so unless you give us something a bit more substantial in the next ten seconds that is exactly what's going to happen to you."

"He was tall and swarthy," Binder added quickly.

"Swarthy as in Turkish?" Ivy asked.

"Yes, he could very well have been a Turk. The man was also well-educated—he talked like a bloody Oxbridge Don."

"It was that Denarian, Thorned Namshiel," Ivy said. "He was also spotted in New Delhi and Beijing during the past week, so he must have been the one masterminding all the attacks."

"Damn, we already suspected that Namshiel was a card-carrying member of the Black Council," Harry pointed out. "Ernie here doesn't know anything of real value. He's just a stupid patsy like the others ones we caught."

"Now wait a minute. I have plenty of valuable information I would be more than happy to share with you in exchange for my freedom from this place," a desperate Binder told them. "By the way, where exactly are we? That ginger lad knocked me out before we got on the jet."

"No loose ends," Ivy whispered as she turned to leave.

Harry quickly stunned his fellow Englishman, and then shouted in Parseltongue: "_Tommy Junior, I have something fresh for you to eat today_!"

A minute later a huge serpent emerged from a hole in the in the rear of the prison cave. When the Legion began carving out these tunnels in the mountain, Ivy had offered some unusual suggestions. A first Harry had objected to using a live basilisk as a security measure, but the more he thought about the idea, the more he came to like it. Tommy Junior was especially useful when he wanted to quietly dispose of any unwanted prisoners. It was also more humane that handing the poor sod over to an enraged Veela.

* * *

"General, this intelligence on the vampires is very thorough," one of the centurions remarked as they went over the operational plans one last time. "Perhaps it's a bit too thorough. We might be looking at a double-agent who is setting a trap for us."

As Harry looked over that various maps and diagrams floating in the air he had to agree with the witch: this intelligence was too good to be true. Lara Raith had supplied them with an excessive amount of information about House Skavis and House Malvora. The manipulative vampire expected Harry and his fellow wizards to destroy her White Court rivals once and for all. If her plan worked only House Raith would remain standing, and she would be able to openly claim her title as Queen.

"You are correct. This was all supplied by a vampire within the White Court itself. However I have been able to independently confirm the authenticity of the intelligence from several other sources, none of whom were vampires," Harry explained.

To begin with Ivy had thoroughly examined everything Lara had provided for them, and she verified that none of it was bogus. General Potter hadn't stopped there though. Both he and Kincaid had gone on several scouting trips to Las Vegas and Cape Town. The targets in the two cities perfectly matched what they were expecting to see.

"I would also remind you all that I will personally be leading both missions tonight. My own neck is on the line, so if this is a trap set by the vampires you can be sure I won't hesitate before ordering a full retreat," Harry added to much laughter.

A short time later nearly four hundred wizards and witches gathered in a large cavern at the center of the mountain. Ivy had chosen this spot as the safest place to crossover into Nevernever. Each of the centurions had been carefully taught how to use the special rune-covered daggers which allowed them to open a portal to the parallel dimension.

Once the legionnaires passed through this portal they quickly mounted their brooms. Using the Ways of Nevernever allowed a person to traveling across the globe in just an hour or two, but flying a hundred meters off the ground on a new Firebolt made the trip that much quicker and safer.

"Follow my lead closely!" Harry shouted. Ivy had made him memorized the travel route since getting lost in vastness of Nevernever meant certain death, even for a wizard. "And remember: if you see something move, just kill it!"

Twenty minutes later they crossed back over to an abandoned parking garage in Las Vegas. The vampires of House Skavis fed off the human emotion of despair, and the casinos of Sin City were basically factories which produced an endless supply of suicidal gamblers for them to feast upon. The centurions had ordered their cohorts to put on their Invisibility Cloaks, so Harry ended up addressing a seemingly empty garage.

"Remember these things are monsters that will eat you alive if you give them the opportunity. They deserve no mercy, and they will get none from us!"

If wasn't as if the House Skavis was undefended. In fact the opposite was true. Their mansion had every security device you could think of: motion-detectors, infrared cameras, touch-sensitive floors, and of course heavily armed guards patrolling the grounds with vicious attack dogs. None of that matter to wizards and witches who could instantaneously travel from one point on Earth to another. The legionnaires apparated directly to pre-assigned objectives in the large mansion and started to fatally curse everything in sight. Since the vampires couldn't see who or what was killing them, it ended up being a rather one-sided affair.

Ten minutes later the Legion retreated to the parking garage before entering Nevernever again. The battle had been close to flawless, and there were less than a dozen wounded in total. Each individual wizard and witch had been given a supply of healing potions, and each cohort had its own trained healer. Because of these precautions none of the wounded ended-up as fatalities.

"Alright people. We did very well back there, so we are going to hit Cape Town tonight," General Potter announced. "The less time the vampires have to prepare, the better things will be for us."

House Malvora gave them much more of a fight. Harry had hoped that facing Dementors would have prepared his forces for the vampire's ability to induce fear in their victims, but even with their training several dozen of the tired legionnaires began to panic. Their well-planned attack quickly degenerated into a series of ugly skirmishes inside the halls of the vast South African estate. In some cases the vampires they were fighting against were hundreds of years old, and their experience allowed them to take down a number of wizards before they were finally killed themselves.

"How bad is it?" the young General asked one of his much-older centurions as the fighting finally came to an end. Hitting two separate targets in one night had been a stupid mistake on his part.

"We lost around forty, and over twenty have been seriously wounded. Another fifty or so have minor wounds, but can still make the trip back to the Camp without any help."

"Unroll the magic carpets, and make sure no one is left behind in this cesspool," Harry ordered. "Once the wounded and dead are secured to the carpets, this place gets burned to the ground just like the mansion back in Las Vegas."

* * *

As Lara Raith sat in the library of the Raith Family's Miami home she couldn't believe the good news that was coming in from her agents around the world. In a matter of hours both House Skavis and House Malvora has been reduced to nothing more than ashes. After two hundred years of standing in shadow of her abusive father, she had finally won the crown in her own right.

"Hello Lara."

Without thinking the vampire leapt at the intruder with superhuman speed, but she suddenly hit a massive wall of pure energy which knocked her unconscious. When Lara finally came to an hour later she found herself secured to a chair with some type of strange rope she could not break, not even with her superhuman strength. The Archive was sitting on top of a nearby table, causally dangling her Mary Jane shoes back and forth.

"Let's try that again. Hello Lara."

"Do you expect me to be civil with you after your foolish ritual destroyed my family's Chateau outside of Chicago?"

Ivy rolled her eyes. "Fine, be that way. Do you have any last words before I send you on your merry way to Hell?"

"You can't kill me. We had a deal," a stunned Lara said.

"No, I let you believe we had a deal, and you were stupid enough to trust me. I guess all those years of thinking that human beings were nothing more than "kine" blinded you to the fact that we are the dominate species on this planet, and that we always will be."

"Where is my father?"

"Dead," Ivy replied. "Killing him was a bit tricky though, since he is immune to most forms of magic. The idiot actually tried to pull his lame Marquis de Sade routine on me, so I ripped a steel safe out of the wall and slammed the thing into his smug face a dozen times. His legs were still twitching uncontrollably when I left his bedroom."

"My sisters and cousins?"

"All dead. I should really thank you for kidnapping Ronald Weasley. It's rare that I have an opportunity to stretch my magical muscles in a fight like this."

"And little Thomas?" a trembling Lara asked.

Ivy frowned. "He and his girlfriend were gone before I could reached them, but he didn't leave of his own free will. Of that I am certain."

The demon inside of Lara finally overcame her emotional shock. "You may think you have won, but..."

"I take it you are referring to the safe houses you created for the other vampires? I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but Queen Maeve allowed me to borrow the Winter Knight and her army of dark elves. They made sure that today truly marked _The Fall of the House of Raith_ by eliminating every last member of your sick family, even the ones you had hidden around the world. Making an enemy of the Sidhe of Winter all those years ago was an incredible stupid thing to do... your majesty," Ivy said with a mocking smile.

"If Thomas is alive then he will avenge the murder of his family," Lara snarled. "And between him and that oaf Harry Dresden, I believe he has the resources needed to kill you!"

"If I'm right about who abducted your brother—and I'm rarely if ever wrong about such things—than revenge is no longer an option for your brother Thomas," Ivy explained. Then with a casual wave of her hand she annihilated the last Queen of the White Court Vampires.


	16. Chapter 16

Even though Harry Dresden now knew he was the grandson of Titania, he still knew that the Queen of Summer would never forgive him for the death of her daughter. Several years ago the Lady Aurora attempted to destroy the delicate balance between the Sidhe of Summer and Winter. This insane scheme might have ended human civilization, but Dresden's tiny allies had butchered her before she could carry it out. Despite this bloody history, Titania had provided him with sanctuary at her Palace during the past two months while his grandfather recovered from his horrible duel with the Necromancer Cowl.

"What are you thinking about?" Lily, the Summer Lady who had replaced Aurora, asked as they were both lying naked in one of the more secluded gardens. The Palace of Summer was just as much of a military fortress as Queen Maeve's Arctis Tor, but the lavish plant life obscured that unpleasant fact for its residents.

"Things back home are an unholy mess," Dresden said as he caressed her long white hair. "My oldest friend Elaine is under the influence of that Denarian bitch Lasciel, the Black Council is running amok around the world, and I've abandoned my apprentice Molly Carpenter. Despite all that, I still don't want to leave."

Lily quickly stood up, and began putting on her clothes. "I told you when this began it had nothing to do with love. As a Sidhe I don't think I am capable of that particular emotion anymore. It's just that you were in such terrible pain after the death of your paramour Susan Rodriguez, and I wanted to help you heal."

"Please believe me, you've been a great help," Dresden said. "This has been a thousand times better than visiting a shrink, and I'm not going to ruin it by falling in love with you."

"Than why do you wish to stay here when you know that my Queen despises your very existence?" Lily asked as she stopped buttoning her gown. It was strange, but Sidhe was even more alluring when she was half-dressed.

"Titania may hate me, but she seems to care for Ebenezer and Maggie," Dresden replied. "The magic of the Blackstaff almost consumed my grandfather during his duel with Cowl, and I think he would have died without the medical care he has received from your healers. And as for my daughter... Maggie has actually started to enjoy herself during the past few weeks."

Lily smiled at that last bit. "Fix loves training her in hand-to-hand combat. He swears that she is almost as tough and fast as the few Sidhe younglings we have seen."

"That is just what every father wants to hear," the wizard muttered as he rubbed his eyes. "My little Margaret Angelica Dresden is becoming an honest-to-god Warrior Princess."

Without warning a loud but harmonious set of gongs filled the air. "The entire Court of Summer is being summoned to the main Audience Chamber by the Queen," Lily explained as she resumed dressing.

"Does that include me?"

"You are officially a Warden of the White Council, a position that has great status here even here in Nevernever," she explained. "Protocol dictates that you be present at an important gathering like this one."

"Fine," Dresden complained. It was an hour until Maggie was scheduled to return from her horse riding lesson, and he had hoped to get in some more naked therapy with Lily.

The Palace was huge and its layout was confusing, so it took the pair almost a half hour to reach the Audience Chamber. Titania watched Lily with a look of disapproval as the Summer Lady finally took her place at the side of the Queen's ornate golden throne. Dresden wondered how much of Lily's recent behavior was driven by her compassion for him, and how much by a desire for independence from the domineering Queen.

When he scanned the cathedral-like room he saw his grandfather sitting on a marble bench set against one of the nearby walls, and went over to join him. Despite everything the Sidhe healers had been able to do for the old wizard his skin was still covered by a bizarre pattern of thin black lines. The Blackstaff was a powerful tool, but using it to excess extracted a terrible price.

"Sir, where is Maggie?"

"She is going over her school lessons with Bob," Ebenezer replied.

"You left your only granddaughter alone with the new and improved Bob?" a horrified Dresden asked.

"Don't worry about it, Mouse is there to protect her. Where have you been all afternoon?"

"With Lily."

Ebenezer shook his bald head. "Hoss, Queen Titania chased me for over a hundred years before I finally let her catch me. Even though she gave me a wonderful daughter of my own, there isn't a day that goes by when I don't regret that decision."

This was news to Dresden. "Why would you regret it?"

"That is none of your concern," Ebenezer said with a sad smile. "I know you think your time with Lily is nothing but a casual affair, and maybe she believes that too. But when you are dealing with the Sidhe nothing is ever as simple as it first appears."

Their conversation was cut short when the massive doors to the Chamber were opened by a pair of weeping willow Ents. Dresden was shocked to see his half-brother Thomas enter holding the gloved hand of his girlfriend Justine. As a White Court Vampire touching the bare skin of the woman he loved would have burned his flesh. There was also a third member in their party: a plain-looking man who was actually buzzing with waves of raw magic.

"Hoss, no matter what happens to the Vampire today keep your big mouth shut," Ebenezer hissed.

"Who... _**what**_ the hell is that thing?" Dresden whispered.

"You remember those journals I have in my office—the ones that were written by the original Merlin himself? Well that... entity standing right there utterly terrified the greatest wizard in human history."

Titania gracefully rose to address her guests. "Michael, you honor the Sidhe of Summer with your exalted presence." Her tone was friendly enough, but there was an undercurrent of hostility there as well.

"I have come here today for your benefit, not for mine," an unconcerned Michael replied. The Archangel then held out his right arm, and the sabre Esperacchius appeared in his hand.

Over a hundred Sidhe warriors immediately reached for their own bronze swords, but a small gesture from the Queen stilled the Audience Chamber. "I know you and your brothers have no sense of honor, but calling for that blade in my presence is beyond the pale, even for you."

"Again, I do this for your benefit not mine," Michael told her. "A great Knight of the Cross has fallen in battle, and a new Knight must take up his burden. If he can summon the courage that is needed."

"Well grandmother, I guess that's my cue," Thomas said flippantly. "Justine, please go over and stand with Harry."

"Thomas, what is going on?" the young woman asked. Even here surrounded by a hundreds of Sidhe her wholesome beauty stood out, as did her love for the Vampire.

"Please, you just have to trust me," Thomas replied as he ran his hand along her pale cheek. The horrible smell of his burning flesh quickly spread throughout the Chamber. "It also might be a good idea for you to keep your eyes closed for this next part."

Michael waited until Justine was safely in Dresden's arms before speaking. "I take it you have some idea of what comes next?"

"I think so," Thomas said as he slowly removed his white shirt with a pair of trembling hands. He then placed his muscular chest against the pointed end of Esperacchius. "This is going to hurt, isn't it?"

"Yes, it will," the Archangel replied.

* * *

It took Justine an hour to stop screaming, and another hour to stop crying before she could tell them what was going on. "It was like that scene in the _Terminator_ when the robot went to the police station and shot all those cops. But instead of the Governor of California attacking the Raith home, it was a fourteen year-old schoolgirl who was killing everyone. Thomas said her name was Ivy."

"Was she a cute blonde wearing old-fashion clothes?" Dresden asked, hoping against all reason that his brother had been referring to someone other than the Archive. They were still waiting to hear about his condition from the Queen and her healers.

"Yes, now that you mention it she did have on a pair of hideous shoes," Justine replied after she took another long drink from a glass of potent Sidhe wine. "The other Raiths tried to stop her, but she just brushed them aside like they were Barbie dolls."

"So the Archive decided to wiped-out the entire White Court?" a concerned Ebenezer asked. Given Ivy's magical strength and her lack of emotional stability the White Council had long feared something disastrous like this might happen.

"Yes, Lara kept bragging about how she had tricked that Harry Potter guy into eliminating Skavis and Malvora for her. And last night everyone was talking about how the other two Houses had been attacked," Justine explained. "Then that little girl showed up, and all hell broke loose. Thomas wanted to fight back, but the Angel Michael came and took us both away. I thought that was strange, since I'm pretty sure neither one of us is getting into heaven."

Some time later Titania walked into the room where they all were waiting. "Thomas Raith will live, but the demon inside of him has been slain by Michael's unusual ritual."

Justine started screaming again, but at least these were screams of joy. "Can we see him?" Dresden asked over the noise.

"If you wish, but he will remain unconscious for several days. Without the aid of the demon Thomas now lacks his former regenerative powers, and his physical recovery will be a long one," Titania told them. "Now if you will excuse me, I have many other pressing duties to attend to.

Ebenezer held Dresden back as Justine rushed to the side of her lover. "Hoss, did you notice her reaction to all this?"

"Titania's? She was cold and indifferent, but that is the way the Sidhe react to almost everything. Why do you ask?"

"I was watching her when that Archangel was carving up the Vampire like a roasted pig, and it didn't bother her one bit. And if Raith had died just now she would have delivered the news to us in the exact same way."

"Sir, I am well aware that the Sidhe aren't human beings, and that they see things... differently than we do."

"Than what are you doing with Lily this afternoon?" Ebenezer asked pointedly. "Because you certainly weren't making love with her."

"Alright sir, I get the message," Dresden conceded. "So Sanya is dead, and Ivy is on the warpath. It looks like things back home are even worse than we originally thought."

"I agree. We need information, but I'm still too weak to defend myself," Ebenezer admitted. "That means you need to head back and get in touch with Injun Joe and the other members of the Grey Council. They haven't been responding to any of our messages, and that's a bad sign."

"I also need to talk to Karrin Murphy and my wayward apprentice Molly. Are you well enough to look after Maggie for a few days?"

"Maybe. I know that Mouse would prefer to stay by your side, but I think you should leave him here with us in Nevernever—just to be on the safe side."

"You don't trust Titania either?" a concerned Dresden asked.

"I trust the Queen to always act in the best interest of the Sidhe of Summer. If selling us out to Black Council would further her goals, she'd do it in a heartbeat."

* * *

When they first arrived in London, Neville had shocked Murphy by suggesting they go see his parents. The idea of meeting the mother and father of her teenage lover was just too horrible for brave Knight of the Cross to contemplate, so she declined his offer. The boy had asked again—this time adding a heartfelt "please"—and she found it impossible to disappoint him. At St Mungo's Hospital she learned the awful truth about his childhood, and it left her feeling like an inconsiderate ass.

"How long have they been liked this?" Murphy asked as she watched the mentally incoherent Frank and Alice Longbottom sitting listlessly on their hospital beds. Neither one of them could recognize their own son.

"Since I was just fifteen months old," Neville replied as he combed his mother's grey and wispy hair. He then told her of the prophecy which linked Harry Potter and him to the Dark Lord Voldemort, and how the Death Eaters had tortured his parents in an attempt to find their missing Master.

"I am so sorry Neville," Murphy told him after he was done with the tragic story. The words sounded inadequate to her, but what else could she possible say?

"I often wonder if keeping them alive like this is just another form of torture, and that maybe I should just let them go," Neville said in a troubled voice.

Then an odd look came over his handsome face. "We have to go... to a park?"

"You can feel it too?" an annoyed Murphy asked.

One of the worse parts of being a Knight of the Cross was the way they were yanked around the world like a trio of puppets. The only reason Murphy put up with it was because of the thirteen years of brainwashing she had received while attending Catholic school. After Neville had said his goodbyes they quickly made their way down to the lobby. There they found a nasty surprise waiting for them in the form of the new Minister of Magic Cyrus Greengrass, and his new Chief Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"Longbottom, where have you been for the past year?" Minister Greengrass demanded the second he saw them.

Neville carefully placed the long plastic tube which contained his sword on the ground before replying. "I officially resigned from the Auror Corps, so my whereabouts are none of your business, Death Eater."

"The war against Voldemort is over, but that idiot Potter is trying to start another one," Shacklebolt growled. "Just because he was chosen as the Supreme Mugwump doesn't give him the right to order the British Ministry of Magic around like we are his servants. You need to tell him to back off."

"If you have a problem with Harry take it up with him," Neville said. "This political nonsense isn't my problem."

Minister Greengrass smirked. "Yes, it is your problem, since we had your grandmother Augusta Longbottom arrested ten minutes ago."

The young Knight closed his eyes and started breathing heavily. Murphy reached over with her left hand, but he shook her off. "You have one hour to release her."

Now it was Shacklebolt's turn to smirk. "Or what?"

"Or he is going to kill you, you fucking idiot."

The enraged Chief Auror pulled out his wand intending to teach this uppity muggle woman a much-needed lesson, but Murphy drew Fidelacchius and sliced his small piece of wood in half.

"Stop!" Neville yelled to the other Aurors in the lobby. "This woman killed a fully grown Nundu. By **_herself_**. You have no chance of defeating her in a duel, so put your wands away."

"What kind of filthy muggles have you been consorting with Longbottom?" the stunned Minister asked.

Neville grabbed Greengrass by the front of his dress robes and slammed him into the wall. "I have four tasks for you, Death Eater. First, you will release my grandmother. Secondly, you will resign as the Minister of Magic. Thirdly, you will tell your elected successor to obey Harry Potter's orders without hesitation. Fourthly, you will crawl back under the rock where you were hiding after Voldemort's death, and stay there for the rest of your miserable life. If you fail to complete any of these tasks I will kill you. Do you understand me?"

The Minister of Magic was too stunned to respond, but Neville took the smell of urine as a sign he had gotten his message across.

"Come on Karrin, we are going to be late."

The two Knights left the hospital without a word, and began wandering in a northerly direction. Even though he was Englishmen by birth, Neville wasn't very familiar with the physical layout of the London. However the warm June night made the long walk through the city almost pleasant, and it helped the young wizard calm down.

"Do you really think they will let your grandmother go?" Murphy finally asked as they approached Regent's Park.

"Cyrus Greengrass is a coward," Neville replied. "So is Kingsley for that matter. He let a bunch of teenagers fight the war for him, and when Voldemort was dead he expected us to just go away while he took over the Ministry of Magic. He couldn't wait to cut a deal with those pureblood bastards."

"I hadn't realized racism was such a problem in your society."

"My Great-Uncle Algie dropped me out of a window when I was five years-old. He figured that if I was a wizard my magic would somehow save me, and if I wasn't a wizard then I would be better off dead. And that the Noble and Most Ancient House of Longbottom would be better off without me too."

"Oh my God. Are you serious?" Murphy asked.

"That is not something you can really joke about," Neville replied. "It looks like we found our problem."

Sitting on a park bench up ahead was an old man with long white hair and an even longer white beard. He seemed anxious, but that was understandable since he was surrounded by several demonic creatures. Each one was about the size and shape of a horse, and they all looked hungry. The Knights took out their swords and began to run straight towards the danger. The blinding light of Amoracchius and Fidelacchius caused the demons to retreat a few meters, but they weren't leaving without dinner.

"A pair of the Knights of the Cross—how fortuitous. If you two would be so kind as to keep these Outsiders at bay for ninety seconds," the old man said. He then began to chant in some obscure language while ignoring both them and the mysterious demons who were trying to eat him.

"I think I can last for about ninety seconds," Neville said cheerfully.

"Too easy, too easy," Murphy muttered under her breath. "Keep your distance when you start swinging Amoracchius. I would hate for you to cut into this charming old geezer by accident."

While Neville stood his ground and hacked away with his broadsword, Murphy was forced to duck and weave as she slashed away with her katana. Their different fighting styles complemented each other, and when the Outsiders charged again they managed to hold the demons back. However the old man was still refusing to move, and the need to protect him was limiting their mobility.

"They keeping running away before I can finish them off," Neville complained. "If he doesn't do something soon, we aren't going to make it."

Then the demonic horses suddenly stopped moving.

"Thank you for your assistance," the old man said as he finally got up off the park bench.

"What the hell did you just do?" Murphy asked. "And why didn't you do it earlier while we were risking our lives trying to protect you?"

"These Outsiders are immune to my magic, but even they are affected by the passage of time. So I stopped time."

Neville looked around at the plants and trees, and noticed that nothing was moving. Nothing at all. "You froze the entire park? How could you possible do that?"

"My spell is not limited to Regent's Park. It encompasses the entire city of London. As for how I did it? I am the Merlin of the White Council," the old man replied, as if that explained everything.

"I've heard a lot about you. All of it bad," Murphy said tartly. "It's a pity we didn't let these things eat you."

"Given your short stature and feeble sense of humor you must be Dresden's pet, Karrin Murphy. And you would be Neville Longbottom, one of the so-called wizards. I need you to send a message to your leader, Harry Potter."

"And what message is that?"

The Merlin grimaced. "Tell your Supreme Mugwump that in three days the White Council intends to declare war on International Confederation of Wizards."


	17. Chapter 17

To be honest, when Harry Dresden thought of the Mexican restaurant own by the family of his fellow Warden Carlos Ramirez he pictured tables covered with old newspapers and a Mariachi band playing in the background. What he found when he reached Los Angles was a very high-end establishment. There were several stain glass windows, a lot of expensive artwork on the walls, antique oak furniture, and a floor of gleaming Spanish tiles.

Another surprise was the fact that all the male patrons were wearing suits and ties. His torn pair of jeans and black duster were very out of place, so much so that four large busboys were about to toss him out on the street. Luckily he was rescued just in time by his apprentice.

"Harry! You're back!" Molly cried. She was wearing the same stylish outfit as the rest of the waitresses and wearing it well.

"Miss Carpenter, do you know this bum?" one of the busboys asked as he cracked his knuckles.

"Yes, he's a good friend of Carlos," Molly replied. "Could you please go back to the kitchen, and tell him that Harry Dresden is here. We will be waiting for him in the break room."

The break room for the restaurant staff turned out to be nicer than his former basement apartment. "Why aren't you in Chicago with your parents?" Dresden asked as they sat down on a leather couch.

"After you went AWOL for the second time in less than a year the White Council decided to appoint a new Warden for the Midwest region of the United States. Tattnall is even more of a hard-ass than Donald Morgan was, and given my status as a would-be warlock I didn't feel safe living in the same city as him. So I called Carlos, and he told me that his parents were looking for a new waitress. He has also been teaching me some combat magic during our spare time."

"Don't you kind of stand out?" Dresden asked as he gestured towards her long blonde hair.

"Haven't you ever watched a telenovela before?" Ramirez asked from the doorway. "If you went by what they show on the television, you would think that over half the women in Latin America are blue-eyed blondes. By the way, it's good to see you alive."

"I told you he wasn't dead," a beaming Molly said. "So tell us what really happened in Branson."

"How do you know about that?" a stunned Dresden asked.

"Harry, the whole world knows about Branson. There has been nonstop coverage of it for the past two months," Ramirez explained. "Over six thousand people died in one night. The government says it was a rogue meteor strike, but everybody on the White Council believes the explosion was caused by some sort of magical disturbance. Since you disappeared two days before it happened we figured you must have been involved."

"You also once told me that your mentor Ebenezer McCoy has... had a farm in Southern Missouri," Molly added. "Was he there with you when it happened?"

Dresden snorted. "Yeah, he was there alright. Ebenezer is the one who caused the explosion in the first place."

He than explained how the Black Council had used nerve gas against the small town of Branson, and turned its dead inhabitants into an army of rampaging zombies. The attack on the old farm was described in great detail, as was the timely intervention of Queen Titania's centaur warriors. Finally he told the amazed pair about the epic duel between Ebenezer and Cowl.

"Cowl had to be one of the leaders of the Black Council, and now he is dead. So that's great news," Ramirez pointed out.

"True, but the effort almost killed Ebenezer. We have spent all this time in Nevernever, and he still hasn't made a full recovery," Dresden said. "Plus I haven't gotten to the bad news: I hit four of the Grey Council's safe-houses before coming here, and all four were burned to the ground. Have you two heard anything from Edinburgh?"

"Nada," Ramirez replied. "Since Cristos was elevated to the Senior Council all the younger Wardens have been cut out of the loop. Whenever any of us asks for more information they tell us to shut-up and do our jobs. The wizards of our generation are very angry about the situation, and if you wanted to start a rebellion you would have plenty of support."

"No, if we start fighting among ourselves then the Black Council automatically wins," a frustrated Dresden said. "I need to get in touch with Injun Joe and the others."

"Harry, if you went to Edinburgh now I honestly believe that Cristos and his supporters would find an excuse to put you on trial," Ramirez told him. "And the Merlin would be happy to give them your head on a platter if it allowed him to keep his job."

"And as your apprentice my head would be right next yours on that platter," Molly added unnecessarily.

"Don't worry grasshopper, that's not going to happen. Have either of you heard from Karrin Murphy lately?" Dresden asked.

Molly's face fell. "Harry, I hated to be the one that has to tell you this, but..."

"...Sanya is dead. Yes, I know about that."

"How could you know? You said you had been staying in Nevernever during the past two months."

Dresden hesitated. Thanks to her soulgaze with Thomas Raith, Molly had learned that the two of them were brothers. But Ramirez didn't know that—just like he didn't know about Dresden's true relationship with Ebenezer McCoy, or about the existence of his daughter Maggie. Keeping these secrets had been so important to him in the past, but given the potential disasters they were now facing it seemed ridiculous. So he told them the truth about everything, as well as the news that Ivy had destroyed all the White Court Vampires.

"You expect me to believe that the Archangel Michael who I learned about in Sunday school came down from heaven, and cured your half-brother the vampire just so that he could become the newest Knight of the Cross?" Ramirez asked.

"Carlos, more than anything in the world Thomas wanted to be rid of his inner demon," Molly told him. "He would have paid any price for the freedom the Archangel was offering."

Ramirez took a moment to digest all the news. "I'm still too much of a Catholic to question the final judgment of the Man upstairs. So if you are sure Thomas Raith isn't a vampire anymore, then that's good enough for me."

"There is one thing I don't understand. If the White Court Vampires were really destroyed than why haven't we heard anything about it from Edinburgh or on the Paranet?" Molly asked.

"Captain Luccio told me a few years ago that the members of the Senior Council are terrified of the Archive," Dresden explained. "Now that Ivy has started attacking her enemies it looks like their worst fears have been confirmed. That is probably why they are keeping the situation with the White Court under wraps."

"Well, at least those foul monsters are gone," Ramirez said philosophically. "To answer your original question: Murphy called us a few days ago looking for you. She and Neville Longbottom were in London when we talked, but I'm not sure where they are now."

"I will go and give the cradle-robber a call," Molly said as she headed towards the door. "Stay here. If there is more than one wizard standing next to the phone it stops working."

Dresden looked over at his fellow Warden. "So Murphy and the kid are together now?"

"Did you think she was going to sit around and wait for you forever?" a ginning Ramirez asked. "Karrin is good woman and deserves whatever happiness she can find in this crazy world. Besides, he's over the age of consent."

"That's true. So... you and Molly?"

Ramirez started laughing. "My madre exchanges daily emails with Charity Carpenter. If I so much as kissed your gorgeous apprentice those two matriarchs would start planning the wedding five minutes later, and I'm not ready for that kind of commitment."

Dresden leaned his head back into the plush cushions. The couch was comfortable, and he was exhausted after a long day of hiking through Nevernever. "This place isn't what I was expecting."

"You thought there was going to be a Mariachi band playing in dinning room, didn't you?" Ramirez asked. "How do you think I can afford custom body armor, an endless supply of hand grenades, and designer sunglasses on a Warden's pitiful salary?"

Before Dresden could embarrass himself by answering that question Molly came rushing into the break room. "We have a serious problem. The White Council about to go to war. Again."

* * *

Dresden, Molly, and Ramirez made the trip from Los Angles to the United Kingdom in less than an hour. Once in London they met Ivy, Harry Potter, and the two Knights of the Cross at the Archive's Mayfair townhouse. Dresden was unhappy with Ivy's presence at this meeting, but the need to avoid another costly war forced him to swallow his anger and his pride.

"Are you telling me that the Merlin of the White Council broke one of the seven Laws of Magic right in the middle of London?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes, he specifically told Neville and me that time had been stopped throughout the city," Murphy replied.

She was actually sitting on the kid's lap, but Dresden was too intimidated by the new couple to make any of his usual smart-ass remarks. If he ever went up against the two Knights of the Cross in a fight he would lose in less than sixty seconds.

"The Laws of Magic state that a wizard can not "swim against the Currents of Time", so technically the Merlin is innocent of any wrongdoing," Ivy coldly pointed out to Dresden.

She still seemed upset about their argument on Demonreach. Maybe pissing-off the most powerful teenage girl in the world hadn't been such a great idea on his part.

"I've personally witnessed three warlocks being executed for just attempting to perform temporal magic, and the Merlin was present all three times," Ramirez argued. "For him to use that type of spell under any circumstances means that something is seriously wrong."

"I agree," Dresden said. "This whole ambush in the park sounds like it was a set-up designed to attract the attention of the Knights of the Cross."

"Of course it was a trap," Ivy said as she rolled her eyes. "I can't believe people were actually stupid enough to hire you as a private detective."

Unlike the others Murphy wasn't intimidated by the Archive's obnoxious outburst. "I don't think it's really possible to play tricks on our Boss."

"This Black Council tried to kill Sanya back in São Paulo, and they failed," Neville added. "Neither Karrin or I were hurt during our fight in Regent's Park, so it looks like they failed again."

"The Merlin wasn't interested in killing either of you, he was aiming for Ivy and me," Harry told his old roommate. "It pretty obvious he wants to avoid another long and bloody war, so he is hoping that the International Confederation of Wizards will unilaterally surrender to the White Council."

"That's not obvious to me," a skeptical Molly said.

"Yeah, why not just talk to Potter directly if he wants the ICW to surrender?" Dresden asked.

"Because that could be seen as an act of treason by the other members of the White Council," Ivy explained. "By using an indirect approach like this he can maintain plausible deniability by blaming the leak on the unstable Archive."

"So the Merlin just wants to have a secret peace conference with your husband?" Molly asked. "That's not such a bad idea."

"It's a bad idea if he's a member of the Black Council and is seeking to consolidate his personal control over all human magic-users," Dresden replied. "We have to find out once and for all where the Merlin's true allegiances lie."

"Well, I'm glad to see you finally caught up with the program," Ivy said as placed an elaborate piece of parchment on the table. "Warden Ramirez, I want you to take this to Edinburgh and personally present it to the White Council."

"That's written in Latin. That does it say?" Murphy asked.

Ivy gave them all a sinister smile. "My husband is challenging the Merlin to a duel under the rules of the Unseelie Accords."

* * *

It had taken a week of tedious negotiations to arrange a meeting here alongside a seclude Scottish loch half way between Edinburgh and Hogwarts. Ivy and Harry were facing all seven members of the Senior Council, which was a sure sign of how much they feared the Archive. The Supreme Mugwump couldn't really complain though, since the Merlin hadn't declared war on the ICW while the talks were still ongoing. Tomorrow would be a different story if things went pear-shaped in the next hour.

Harry had already met the Merlin and Injun Joe, but this was his first time seeing the other titans of the White Council. They turned out to be an eclectic bunch. The Gatekeeper was a giant of man—even taller than Dresden—and his shadowy cloak was similar to the ones worn by the Unspeakables. Despite her grey hair Martha Liberty—a woman of African descent—could only be described as statuesque. She seemed very unhappy about this whole situation.

"You can't possible expect us to take this seriously!" Gregori Cristos bellowed. He and his Indian colleague Gopal weren't simply unhappy with the situation. They were both furious. "The International Confederation of Wizards has never signed the Accords, so your husband has no standing whatsoever to challenge the Merlin to a duel."

Ivy threw a leather portfolio at the fool's head. "That contains letters from Queen Titania of Summer, Queen Maeve of Winter, and Donar Vadderung of Monoc Securities which state that they recognize the ICW as a fellow signatory of the Unseelie Accords."

"Why weren't we informed of this decision earlier?" Ancient Mai asked. The repulsive crone had been glaring at young couple since the moment she arrived, not that it was doing her any good.

"Your official notification must have been lost while it was in transit," a nonchalant Ivy replied.

The relevant documents had in fact been spent to Edinburgh, but the courier was killed by Kincaid before he could reach his destination. When it came to the Unseelie Accords violating the spirit of the law was not only allowed but expected, so long as the letter of the law was obeyed. That was something the late Lara Raith had never understood, and it seemed that her stupidity was shared by the current members of the Senior Council.

"A duel will change nothing," the Merlin said. "I will defeat the boy, and then we will crush the ICW. Surrender is the only viable option for your people at this point."

"If you call me a boy one more time, I am going to kill you," Harry said in a cold voice.

Ancient Mai let out a sharp laugh. "Arthur, teach the little _**boy **_a quick and painful lesson. We have much more important things to be doing with our time."

The Merlin was ignoring Harry while he closely studied the Archive. "You told your husband of our plans regarding the ICW?"

"It must have slipped out one night," Ivy lied. "Harry is a talented lover, and I sometimes lose control in the heat of the moment. But then you are so old, I doubt you even remember what it's like to have sex."

"If the boy is killed will you seek retribution against me or the White Council?" the Merlin asked bluntly.

"No, I will accept the outcome of this duel," Ivy answered. "At the same time I reserve the right to defended myself from any threat. As always."

"Very well, do have an emissary in mind?"

Ivy took an orange plastic gun out of her coat and fired a flare into sky. Less than a minute later a helicopter came into view, and gracefully landed next to the loch. The American crime lord Gentleman Johnny Marcone disembarked while carrying a small wooden case, and then walk over to the gathering of wizards.

"Sorry to keep you waiting John," Ivy said.

"That is quite alright, I have been looking forward to this all week," Marcone replied before turning to address the Senior Council. "Mrs Potter thought I would make an acceptable emissary. Do you concur, or shall I leave?"

"For the life of me I can't decide if you are incredible brave or totally daft," the Merlin said as he looked over the American's custom-tailored three-piece suit.

"That is a question I often asked myself."

"He will do," the Merlin declared. "As the individual being challenged I have the choice of weapons. I choose magic."

Marcone than turned to Harry. "Mr Potter, would you be so kind as to choose a place and time."

"Right here, right now."

"I man after my own heart," Marcone said with a smile. "Who will act as your seconds during this duel?"

"Ancient Mai, if you would?" the Merlin asked. The Chinese wizard nodded her head in acceptance.

"Ivy," Harry said. The others looked like they wanted to object to this choice, but his opponent remained silent.

Marcone than opened the wooden case, and took out a large hourglass which he placed on the ground. "The sands will run up in exactly one-hundred seconds, at which point the duel will begin. I would advise you not to use any tricks on this hourglass. It belongs to a certain one-eye business associate of mine, and will kill anyone who attempts to tamper with it."

Harry quickly pulled Ivy in for a long kiss, which included more than a little groping. "I love you," he said as they parted.

"I am genuinely fond of you," Ivy replied.

The Merlin was watching them with disgust. "I should kill you for that puerile display alone, but if you drop your magic... stick to the ground I will simply render you unconscious."

"Did you think I was joking when I said I was going to kill you?" Harry asked. "Because I wasn't."

The old wizard actually snarled. "You and your insignificant Confederation _**will**_ submit to the authority of the White Council, and there is nothing you can do to change that fact."

Harry responded with a two-finger salute.

When the very last grain of sand flew up in defiance of gravity, two things happened simultaneously. First the Merlin raised a ward blocking Harry's ability to apparate. During the course of his long life Arthur Langtry had fought against dozens of these feeble wizards, and he knew once the boy was pinned down the duel was all but over.

At the same this powerful ward was being cast Harry put on his Invisibility Cloak. The Merlin didn't hesitate when the boy disappeared from his field of vision. He immediately called on his Sight, which allowed him to pierce even the most powerful of magical veils. He found nothing.

"Boo!" a voice screamed.

It was cheap trick, but it worked. The Merlin turned his head searching for a target to destroy, but what he found was a now-visible Harry standing only millimeters from his face. The two locked eyes for a second and it happened: Ivy joking referred to it as a mental gag reflex, but most wizards called it a soulgaze.

Normally during a soulgaze the two people would be force to share... well, their souls. Or at least a great deal of highly personal information about their emotions. Ivy had access to thousands of written descriptions of the process, and she claim it was unique for each person.

This was the only field of battle on which Harry could hope to win the duel. His internal magic was weak when compared to the overwhelming strength of the Merlin's external magic, but its delicate nature was ideal for manipulating the human mind.

Harry's background also provided him with another important advantage. Three brilliant wizards had spent years using magic to violate his mind. Dumbledore, Snape, and especially Voldemort had all left extensive scar tissue on his psyche. Thanks to Ivy's tutoring he was able to use his weaknesses to set a trap for his more experienced opponent.

"Where are we?" the Merlin asked as he looked around at a place far different than the Scottish countryside where he had been standing just a second ago.

"King's Cross Station in London."

"You are using a soulgaze to trap me inside of this mental construct," the Merlin reasoned. "That is why you and the Archive were acting so provocatively. You wanted to use my anger against me. Your wife taught you a clever trick boy, but it will only last for a second or two at the most."

"A second is all I need," Harry replied as he held out his wand. "This isn't my real wand. It's just a sharpened piece of wood coated with Basilisk venom. As we speak my hand is coming closer and closer to jamming it into your neck."

"You fool. My Death Curse will destroy you."

"Yes, Ivy told me all about those. I think my mother performed one the night she was killed," Harry mused. "When we are done with our little chat I will shut your mind down for a few more seconds, so there isn't going to be a Death Curse. Now back to the matter at hand: are you a member of the Black Council?"

"How dare you..." That was as far as the Merlin got before he fell to the ground in agony.

"That was the Cruciatus Curse—or at least what I remember the Cruciatus Curse feeling like," Harry explained. "Lie to me again, and I will punish you. Time passes very slowly in here, and according to Ivy's research I could hold you captive for what will seem like hours."

The Merlin tried, and failed, to stand up. "You would actually spend hours torturing another human being?"

"I spent years being tortured by the Dark Lord Voldemort, so yes I would," Harry replied. "Are you a member of the Black Council?"

"No, I am not a traitor. Cristos, Gopal, and Ancient Mai all are though. Along with one other whose identity I am not sure of."

Thanks to the nature of the Soulgaze Harry knew the wizard was telling him the truth. "So Ivy was right, it is the Gatekeeper."

"The Archive has no way of knowing that for certain!" the Merlin raged. "It could easily be one of the others."

"My wife has her faults—she always keeps the seat down in the loo for instance—but stupidity isn't one of them," Harry replied. "The Gatekeeper is tasked with monitoring the Outer Gates, but for the last few decades those Gates have turned into demonic Autobahn. Dozens of major Outsiders have been spotted here on Earth; doesn't that strike you as an odd coincidence?"

"Perhaps."

"There is also the matter of his longstanding friendship with Queen Mab," Harry pointed out. "It would have allowed the Gatekeeper to get close enough to the Queen to administer the poison which caused her and Leanansidhe to go insane."

"This is all circumstantial evidence at best," the Merlin retorted. "I need facts to present to the rest of the White Council if I am to move against him and the other traitors."

"You have run out of time. Your only viable option at this point is to use your Death Curse against the Gatekeeper," Harry said in a cruel mockery of the man's earlier words.

The Merlin's eyes went wide. "But I am innocent."

"So are my fellow wizards and witches, but you were just about to hand the ICW over to the tender mercies of Black Council," Harry told him. "Besides Ivy thinks you are a lousy warlord, and once you are out of the way one of our allies can take over the White Council."

"Wait!"

* * *

But Harry Potter did not wait, and he did indeed jammed his fake wand into the wizard's exposed neck. Not shutting down the Merlin's mind was a dangerous gamble. If he decided to use his Death Curse out of spite there was nothing that could have saved Harry, not even the power of the Archive. However in the last few seconds of his life Arthur Langtry proved himself worthy of his great title.

The Merlin of the White Council summoned a veritable ocean of magic into his hands, and then lashed out at his true enemies. The spell he cast with his last breath burned him to a cinder even before the basilisk poison could finish its work. This was the true power of a Death Curse: the freedom to push yourself far, far beyond any rational limits.

Cristos and Gopal were powerful wizards, but their hastily cast shields might as well have been made out of tissue paper. Both men were consumed by flames till nothing was left but ash. There was a slight chance that Ancient Mai could have saved herself, but the woman's advanced age had slowed her reflexes, and she too was burned alive by her former ally.

On the other hand the fourth target did have the magical power, the blinding speed, and the esoteric knowledge need to block a Death Curse. If the Merlin had concentrated all of his magical strength on his most dangerous foe the Gatekeeper would have died, but facing only a quarter of that strength allowed him to survive. As the other three traitors burned, the mysterious wizard opened a portal to an unknown dimension and fled.


	18. Chapter 18

After the raging fury of the Merlin's Death Curse, the Scottish countryside seemed unnaturally quiet. Ivy had been shielding not only herself, but John Marcone and his helicopter crew as well. That left Harry alone to face the two remaining members of the Senior Council: Injun Joe and Martha Liberty.

"What in the name of all creation just happened?" Martha Liberty asked, and it was clear from her angry tone that the wrong answer would result in violence.

"I could ask you the same question," Harry shot back. "You two just stood there while the Gatekeeper escaped."

"Are you telling us that Rashid was the traitor?"

"Of course he was," Ivy said as she walked over and took up a defensive position next to her husband. "How could you two possible not know that?"

"We knew that someone had betrayed us to the Black Council, but the Merlin and the Gatekeeper both claimed to be on our side," Injun Joe explained. "We had no way of knowing for certain which one was lying, so we decided to play along until one of them made an obvious mistake."

"And here I thought we were gaining some competent allies," Ivy muttered. "John, I believe you should leave as soon as possible. The Wardens will be arriving soon, and they have a tendency to be overbearing when dealing with mortals."

"Yes, that does tend to be a common trait of police officers the world over," the crime lord remarked as the blades of his helicopter started whirling. "Ms Gard is waiting for me in Aberdeen, so we should back in Chicago for dinner."

"Thank you for your help today Gentleman Johnny," Harry added. "If you ever need a favor, don't hesitate to ask."

"He is so young," Marcone said as he turned to Ivy with a sad look on his face. "Try not to ruin him."

"I will do my best," Ivy promised.

As predicted the Wardens—lead by Captain Anastasia Luccio herself—arrived _en masse _a few minutes later. The death of four members of the Senior Council and the desertion of a fifth was an unprecedented security disaster. In fact it was so unprecedented that none of the Wardens really knew what to do.

"Potter will have to come with us back to Edinburgh," Luccio finally declared. "Even if it was a duel, the boy did kill the Merlin of the White Council, and there has to be an investigation of some sort. He also could be legally implicated in the deaths of the other three."

"But I didn't kill them," an indignant Harry said.

"That remains to be seen," Luccio replied. "Wizard Liberty, Wizard Listens-to-Wind: do you concur with my decision?"

Martha Liberty snorted. "I think the relevant question is does the Archive concur with your decision."

"We have her outnumbered," Luccio said in a tight voice.

"You made all these swords yourself, didn't you?" Ivy asked as she gestured to the silver blades each of the Wardens carried at their side. "Their enchantments allow them to block curses and cut through wards. Isn't that correct?"

"Yes, it is. And you are now facing a dozen of them in the hands of my most experienced Wardens," Luccio replied.

Ivy closed her eyes, and each one of those silver swords began to glow with a reddish-orange color. In just a few seconds they started to burn through their leather sheathes and fell to the ground. When Ivy opened her eyes there nothing was left of them but long slabs of melted silver.

"Anything you can do _bambina, _I can do better," Ivy said. "We will be returning to Edinburgh with Injun Joe and Martha Liberty, but if you even think about arresting my husband I will slaughter the lot of you."

The short trip through Nevernever was awkward. The Wardens were all keeping a close watch on Ivy and Harry, but pretended not to at the same time. To everyone's relief their mixed party arrived at the White Council's headquarters in less than ten minutes. The Sidhe-crafted tunnels beneath the Scottish capital were extensive, but a wizard could only cross over from Nevernever at certain heavily guarded checkpoints.

"Wizard Dresden, you are still alive," a shocked Luccio said as they entered a long and shadowy tunnel which lead down to the larger chambers were White Council was based. "And not only are you live, but have chosen this particular day to return to Edinburgh."

"Yeah, isn't that a coincidence," a grinning Dresden replied as he cast a strong privacy ward. "Wizard McCoy is also here, and we brought along a few friends.

"I can't believe that damn redneck survived... again," Injun Joe said a moment later as he wiped away a tear from his face. "You could dump that stupid son of a bitch in a live volcano, and he would climb out with nothing worse than case of sunburn."

"Where is the Gatekeeper?" Dresden asked.

"He ran away," Ivy said with a smirk. "I told you he was one of the traitors."

"What about the others?"

"Potter killed the Merlin. The boy stabbed the greatest wizard in the world in the neck with a wooden stick, and it worked," an amazed Martha Liberty replied. "Arthur's Death Curse took out Ancient Mai, Cristos, and Gopal."

"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph," Dresden muttered. "Ivy's crazy plan really worked."

"I doubt the rest of the White Council will see it that way," Luccio pointed out.

Dresden looked over at his former lover, who was glaring at the Archive with a look of pure hatred. "What is going on here Anastasia?"

An annoyed Injun Joe answered for her. "A few months ago Captain Luccio recommended to the Senior Council that both Harry Potter and Jared Kincaid be eliminated, and it seems that the Archive found out about it. The girl was been taunting Luccio all day."

"We should have done it. Thanks to her emotional attachments the Archive is now completely out of control. Her so-called plan could have easily blown up in our faces."

"We don't have time for this," Dresden snapped. "If we don't present a unified front to the rest of the Council there is a real chance a civil war with breakout between us and Cristos' followers."

"I agree," Martha Liberty said. "Anastasia, if you can't act like a professional than you are of no use to us."

"As always you have my full support," a stiff Luccio told them.

"That is what we wanted to hear," Injun Joe said. "Now this is what we are going to tell the others: Rashid took advantage of the duel and attacked his enemies on the Senior Council. This was nothing more than a coup attempt, and he was acting alone. No one is going to say a word about the existence of the Black Council."

"So the Lone Gunman strikes again," Dresden joked.

"We will choose new members for the Senior Council today, and that political excitement should keep everyone distracted," Martha Liberty added.

"Warden Ramirez and I are providing security, so you don't have to worry about any fights breaking out," Dresden told them.

"How many of my Wardens have you two hotheads corrupted?" Luccio asked. "Fifty? Sixty?"

"About a hundred and twenty," Dresden admitted sheepishly.

"Over half of the Wardens have rebelled against the Council? When the hell did this happen?" Injun Joe asked.

"We aren't technically rebelling against anything, but Cristos' condescending attitude did piss-off most of the younger generation. Plus I have developed a kind of... reputation over the past few years, so a lot of people were willing to follow my lead."

"What Dresden is too embarrassed to say is that since he personally destroyed the Red Court Vampires many of the younger wizards now believe he walks on water," Ivy told the others. "After Injun Joe he is easily the next most popular person on the White Council, which is pretty impressive for a former warlock."

"Thank you," a touched Dresden whispered.

"Just because you're popular doesn't change the fact that you are also an idiot," a grinning Harry Potter pointed out.

* * *

Over a thousand wizards were in Edinburgh that day, and the news of the Merlin's death nearly caused a riot. Arthur Langtry had dominated not only the White Council but most of the supernatural world for over two-hundred years, and now he was gone. Luckily Dresden, Ramirez, and their Wardens had some serious reinforcements backing them up.

All three of the Knights of the Cross were mingling with the nervous crowd, and no one wanted to tangle with them. Thomas Raith hadn't really recovered from his injures, but he did look impressive standing there in his new armor. Ebenezer wasn't a hundred percent healthy either, but he was managing to get around with the help of a cane.

Even more shocking was the presence of the Summer Lady Lily and the Winter Lady Luna. Many of the older wizards had met one or more of the Sidhe Queens, but to see representatives of Summer and Winter acting like good friends was frankly bizarre. Both Lily and Luna made it clear that they valued the friendship of the White Council, and that the surviving members of the Senior Council had their support.

At the same time Injun Joe, Martha Liberty, and the Blackstaff were politicking at a furious pace. Everyone accepted that Ebenezer would be reinstated to the Senior Council, but that still left four open seats. There was also the matter of who would be Arthur Langtry's successor as the next Merlin. It had been centuries since the Council had seen this much political upheaval. Many wanted to postpone the elections for at least a day or two, but the three old and very powerful wizards insisted that any delay would only put them all in danger.

Dresden went over to speak to his brother Thomas while all this was going on. "Where is Maggie?"

"She was bored, so Molly and Mouse took her to Ebenezer's old rooms. You said that he had an extensive library up there."

"How are you feeling?"

"Like someone removed my intestines, puréed them, and then shoved them back into my gut. What are Bonnie and Clyde doing here?" Thomas asked as he waved his hand in the general direction of Ivy and Harry.

"Don't even look at those two the wrong way. You and Justine have been given a rare second chance. Do you really want to waste it by getting yourself killed after only three months?"

"She murdered all of my sisters. I can't just let that go."

"You had better," Dresden warned. "A fight with Ivy is one you're never going to win."

The haggling and the horse-trading went on for hours. Slowly a consensus formed: Asia had been neglected in favor of Europe for too long by the Council, and there were to be given three seats this time. Wizard Jiaying from China, Wizard Waen from Thailand, and Wizard Saleh from Indonesia were finally selected from a long list of candidates. Much to his disgust, Injun Joe was the unanimous choice as the new Merlin.

"I can't imagine what the other shamans are going to think of me now that I've taken the name of a dead white man," he complained when the news was announced.

All this activity still left one last post to be filled, but no one seemed eager to replace a traitor.

* * *

It had been literally decades since the last time the Gatekeeper had feared for his life. As he crossed the threshold of an abandoned yet heavily warded hunting lodge in the Ural Mountains, he realized that were was an excellent chance this would be the day of his death. No wizard on Earth could hope to defeat the three other leaders of the Circle, and he doubted if he could even summon the will to fight back against his allies given his result failures.

"Rashid my friend, please sit down and have something to eat," Ferrovax said as the Gatekeeper entered a partially refurbished dining room.

Although he looked like a typical Russian businessman at the moment, Ferrovax was in fact a semi-divine dragon of staggering size and power. Shape-shifting was the least of his many abilities, as Rashid learned to his regret a hundred and fifty years ago. A good friend had made a pact with the ancient dragon, but failed to honor his end of the agreement. Confident in his strength as a wizard, Rashid had confronted Ferrovax but was defeated with humiliating ease. The short battle had cost him an eye, and left one side of his face covered with hideous scars.

Still his courage and loyalty had impressed the jaded dragon for some reason, and the two struck up an odd friendship. Once every few years Ferrovax would appear, always in a different form, and would share a few hours of thoughtful conversation with the wizard he had callously maimed. He even presented Rashid with the mysterious metal eye he now used. It was far more useful than his original eye, and even allowed him to glimpse disjointed pieces of the future at times.

It was during these rare conversations that the Circle had been born. Ferrovax had seen the rise and fall of countless civilizations, but he feared that something terrible was approaching. Not only was humanity multiplying at an alarming rate, but their new technology threatened to spin out of control. Dragons such as Ferrovax sought harmonious balance above all, and he feared that the future of the Earth itself in danger thanks to these reckless humans and their dangerous technology. After the horrors of the Second World War Rashid had no choice to agree with him, and together they conceived of the vital mission which the Circle was dedicated to carrying out.

"Yes, every condemned man should be allowed one last meal before his execution," the vampire Mavra added.

Normally a Black Court Vampire resembled a walking corpse, but Mavra now looked like prim and proper librarian. Several years ago she had blackmailed Harry Dresden into retrieving the _Word of Kemmler_ for her, and the book's various rituals had restored her diseased and decaying body to perfect health. It had also greatly increased her magical strength, but it hadn't turned her into a god-like figure as the necromancer Cowl had originally feared.

Cowl had hoped to gain the _Word of Kemmler_ for himself, since an unhealthy rivalry for dominance had always existed between various the members of the Circle. Thankfully the fool had died at the hands of Ebenezer McCoy. Rashid had hoped that Ancient Mai would be able to take his place as one of the five, but that plan—along with so much else—had been ruined by the Archive and her little twit of a husband.

"Mavra, if you mock Rashid again I shall give that new body of yours a scar which not even magic will be able to heal," Vlad Drakul hissed as he used a water stone to sharpen his favorite scimitar.

While the Gatekeeper was in awe of Ferrovax's draconic power and had a healthy respect for Mavra's skill as a sorceress, he was actually afraid of Vlad Drakul. As the scion of demon and human he had phenomenal physical talents. But that wasn't what frightened Rashid. Unlike his son Dracula who had become common Black Court Vampire, Drakul didn't need to kill to survive. No, the monster simply loved bloodshed for its own sake.

Rashid had argued with Ferrovax for years against allowing the sadist to join the Circle, but his friend had insisted. While Drakul was violent beyond all reason, he also had a strict code of honor which he always obeyed. As with the Sidhe's concept of honor, this code had nothing to do with human morality, but it did make him a predictable ally. And unlike Mavra who had joined the Circle out of a base desire for revenge, Drakul truly despised the corruption of the modern world.

"Do we always start our meetings by threatening to kill each other, or is today a special occasion for some reason?" the Denarian leader Nicodemus asked.

"What is this piece of trash doing here?" Rashid asked. If he was going to die today, he didn't want his death to be witnessed by an unholy obscenity like the Fallen Angel.

"The Circle has always been governed by five individuals," Ferrovax stated. "Cowl had to be replaced, and Nicodemus was the obvious choice. The Knights of the Cross must be dealt with if we are to succeed."

"As the Sorcerer of the Circle I should have..."

"That title is nothing more than a ruse we use to manipulate our lesser servants," Mavra said dismissively. "We five have always controlled the Circle, and Nicodemus received the three votes that are needed to join us."

Rashid knew there was no sense in arguing with his colleagues once a decision had been made. "Very well. It took me several days to make my way here, so I take it you have all learned from our spies of the disastrous events which took place in Scotland?"

"Don't be so glum, the Merlin is finally dead," a grinning Drakul pointed out. "I doubt that even any of us could have killed Arthur Langtry in less than ten seconds. I am looking forward to meeting this boy Harry Potter."

"Potter is nothing more than a tool of the Archive," Mavra snapped. "Your precious Hellhound is in a perfect position to strike. Why haven't you order her death?"

"Jarred Kincaid is no longer my obedient dog, and at times I wonder if he ever was," Drakul replied. "Besides, that would rob us of the chance to face the girl in battle."

"This isn't a game!" Rashid barked. The stress of the situation had finally gotten to him, and he could only pray that Ferrovax would prevent the others from torturing him at length.

"I agree," Nicodemus said. "There is no point in pretending that we are going to kill the Gatekeeper. His knowledge of—and control over—the Outer Gates is central to our plans. Isn't that so?"

"Yes, you are quite correct," Ferrovax said, before turning to Mavra and Drakul. "You both wield great power, but only the magic of a mortal wizard can breach the Gates."

"We had the entire White Council firmly under our control, and this fool allowed himself to be outmaneuvered by a teenager," Mavra jeered. "He must be punished."

"I have grown sick of these petty squabbles," Drakul declared as he got to his feet. The scion was as tall as Rashid, but carried over a hundred extra kilograms of pure muscle. "We have plotted in the shadows for decades, waiting for this moment. Now that it has arrived there is nothing the wizards of the White Council can do to stop us. I say that it is time to strike!"

"I suppose you are right. At this point there is nothing to be gained from further delay," Ferrovax mused. Mavra looked unhappy, but she nodded her head in agreement.

Drakul raised his goblet of wine into the air. "Then I give you all a toast: to the Dawn of a New and Glorious Age."


	19. Chapter 19

"Hoss, you can't be serious."

"Sir, I don't care what White Council tradition dictates. I'm not giving up my duster," Dresden said. This whole situation had him in a shitty mood, and he didn't care who knew it. "A draftee should be given some latitude when it comes to his wardrobe."

"As the new Gatekeeper you are now the second most important wizard in the world," Martha Liberty explained patiently. "Your personal appearance should reflect that fact."

When the new Merlin heard that comment he cupped his hands together and let out a loud raspberry.

"Injun Joe, is there something you'd like to add to this conversation?" Ebenezer asked dryly.

"Not to speak ill of the recently departed, but if you think I'm going to wear that ridiculously white robe Arthur use to prance around in, you're all crazy."

"So I can keep my duster?" a hopeful Dresden asked.

"Kid, whatever floats your boat. This is what I'm wearing to the shindig," Injun Joe told them. The old wizard had on jeans and a pair of old boots, but his embroidered buckskin shirt somehow made the ensemble seem dignified.

Ten minutes later the four made their way to the swearing-in ceremony for the new members of the Senior Council. Once this was out-of-the-way there was to be a memorial service for the old Merlin. Arthur Langtry might have been an arrogant tyrant, but he had earned the genuine respect of supernatural world. With just a week's notice the crowd in Edinburgh had swelled from one to nearly four thousand, and latecomers were still arriving from Nevernever. Captain Luccio had been worried about maintaining security until two very important guests showed up with their retinues.

"Queen Titania, Queen Maeve. Your presence here today is a great honor for the White Council," Injun Joe said as he bowed deeply to the Sidhe rulers of Summer and Winter.

"You have our deepest condolences. When the Lady Lily returned to my Palace with the awful news, I could scarcely believe it," Titania replied.

The Queen of Summer and her Honor Guard were all wearing traditional mourning robes, but they did nothing to hide the Sidhe's ethereal beauty. Dresden found himself wishing that his grandmother had some age-appropriate outfits. Maybe something like a moo-moo.

"Do you have any idea where the traitor Rashid fled to?" an impatient Maeve demanded. Her only guard was Tycho the Snorkack, but who in their right mind would want to start a fight that thing. "His attack on the late Queen Mab and her handmaiden Leanansidhe warrants a brutal punishment... and a lingering death."

The Queen of Winter certainly had changed since the last time Dresden had seen her. Before Maeve had looked like a punk rock tart, albeit a hot one. Now she had magically matured into a woman at the height of her physical attractiveness. Even the old dreadlocks were gone, although her long white hair was still streaked with the traditional blues and greens of Winter.

"Rashid opened a portal to the far reaches of Nevernever," Injun Joe replied. "None of our Wardens have been able to discover his current whereabouts."

"After the memorial is over we have vital matters to discuss with the Senior Council and the Archive. It is clear from recent events that the Unseelie Accords are no longer in effect. A new treaty must be drafted at once," Titania said. "Will you guarantee our safety until this meeting is over?"

"Yes, it would be a shame if Tycho accidentally ate one of your Wardens," Maeve said as she stroked the massive beast. Everyone present caught the irony.

"Your Majesties are honored guests of the White Council, and I give you my word that no harm will come to either of you," Injun Joe replied.

The swearing-in ceremony took all of five minutes, but it was the longest five minutes of Harry Dresden's life. He had been horrified to learn that every new Gatekeeper had served as an apprentice to the previous Gatekeeper. That was the real reason they had dumped the job on him: no wizard loyal to the White Council had any idea what skills the job required. Dresden could only pray that his unique magical power over the Outsiders could counter Rashid's extensive knowledge and experience.

"How are you holding up Harry?" Bob asked later on as Injun Joe began his eulogy of Arthur Langtry.

"The White Council just painted a huge bull's-eye on my back, which means that I'm now the number one target for the Black... Hats. Other than that I'm just fine. How about you?"

"I'm over the moon. With this many practitioners in one room there is bound to be a few gorgeous ladies harboring mythology-based sex fantasies."

Dresden looked over at the young and handsome satyr who used to be Bob the skull. Since Ebenezer had learned of his continuing existence, Bob knew it was only a matter of time before he was destroyed. With no real alternatives available, he went to the Queen of Summer and begged for asylum. The spirit of intellect had once grossly offended Queen Mab, so a grateful Titania granted his request by trapping him in the body of satyr.

Afterwards Ebenezer agreed that Bob no longer posed a threat, since he had been stripped of the knowledge the necromancer Kemmler had once given him. To say that the formerly incorporeal spirit was enjoying his new corporeal body was a gross understatement. In just a few short months he had humped half of the humanoid creatures in Nevernever.

"Just stay away from my daughter," Dresden warned Bob as he looked over towards Maggie. She was sitting next to Andromeda Tonks and holding Teddy Lupin on her lap. He was glad to see that she was still enough of a little girl to be fascinated by a shape-shifting toddler. "And stay away from Molly too. And Justine."

"What about Murphy?" a cheeky Bob asked. "Speaking of the little she-devil: your favorite blonde is headed this way with that limey oaf of hers. What could she possibly see in him?"

"Longbottom killed four Denarians. He probably could take out an annoying satyr like you in his sleep," Dresden pointed out as he strengthened his privacy ward. Karrin looked like she had some bad news to deliver.

"Dresden, we have a major problem," Murphy whispered.

"So what else is new?" Bob remarked.

"This is serious goat-boy!" the Knight of the Cross snapped. "I have a powerful urge to visit Hoover Dam back in the US, and I think your ex Elaine Mallory has something to do with this crisis."

"Is she in danger?" a concerned Dresden asked.

"No," Murphy said slowly. "The evil Denarian bitch is about to _cause_ the danger. Neville and I think she and her friends are going to try to breach the dam. I can't even begin to imagine how much damage that would cause."

"Go talk to Ramirez. The Southwest region of the United States his responsibility, and he would kill us if we even thought about leaving him behind," Dresden said as he rubbed his temples. Dealing with Elaine and her Fallen Angel Lasciel was the last thing he wanted to do at the moment. "I have to talk to Maggie and Ebenezer, then I'll meet you all at the exit tunnel."

After Dresden kissed his daughter good-bye, he explained the situation to his grandfather and brother in a few short sentences. The two were cold and formal with each other, but at least they were now on speaking terms. "You both are still too weak to come along, so please just stay here and watch Maggie for me."

"Hoss, be careful. The Denarian may be treating Mallory like an equal now, but it can take control of your old girlfriend in a heartbeat," Ebenezer told him. "If you get a clean shot, take it."

"Yes, sir."

"And try thinking with your brains, not your balls," Thomas added. "We both know how stupid you can be when it comes to dealing with damsels in distress."

Dresden rolled his eyes. "You're a pot, I'm a kettle, and we are both stupid when in comes to women."

The crowd for the funeral was so huge few people noticed twenty Wardens and two Knights leaving. As their war party crossed over into Nevernever everyone tried to remember what they had been taught about Hoover Dam back in school. They knew that it was huge, made of concrete, and that it supplied electrical power to three different states. That was the sum total of their knowledge.

"Is it even possible to destroy something that large and durable with magic?" Murphy asked as they trotted along one of the Ways.

"Yes, it is," Dresden replied as he remember the devastation Ebenezer had caused in Missouri. "It won't be easy though, and we should be able to stop any major rituals they try."

An hour later they reached their destination. Ramirez thought that they should have some sort of battle plan before they went rushing in. It was a good idea since they were probably going up against one or more the Black Council's heavy-hitters.

"Alright, listen up! We are going in staffs-a-blazing," Dresden told the group of Wardens. "This place is a major tourist destination so if you see anyone without a fanny pack or a cell phone, kill them. If your magic doesn't seem to be working than we might be facing Outsiders. If that is the case you will retreat as quickly as possible, and leave them to our two Knights of the Cross. They can fight back against those things, you can not."

"Have you ever considered a career as a motivational speaker?" Ramirez deadpanned.

"I'm not fucking around here. No stupid heroics, or I will curse you myself," Dresden continued. "And if any of you see a tall brunette practitioner throwing around some major fire spells just leave her to me. Are you all ready?"

Neville and Murphy seemed calm but everyone else looked like they wanted to vomit. Facing an Outsider was every wizard's worst nightmare. One of the Wardens opened a portal to the gracefully curved roadway atop Hoover Dam. In the distance Dresden saw dozens of burning cars and dead bodies. He also saw Elaine Mallory drawing a Spell Circle on the bloody pavement.

When moving to or from Nevernever during wartime it is a standard operating procedure for the Wardens to immediately check behind the portal for any possible threats. Four wizards did exactly that, but they swiftly disappeared over the side of the Dam. Even with magic there was no chance of surviving a two-hundred and twenty meter drop.

"Dresden, on our six!" Ramirez yelled as he and the surviving Wardens turned to face a living nightmare called a Skinwalker.

The Skinwalker was a Naagloshii, a type of semi-divine monster which had lived in this area of North America for thousands of years. It was strong, fast, and could perfectly mimic the form of any animal or human. It was also just about an evil as anything Dresden had faced during his eventful career. The Skinwalker had almost beaten him to death on the island of Demonreach before Injun Joe had come to his rescue. It was too bad they left the new Merlin back in Edinburgh.

In the second it took Dresden and the two Knights to turn around three more Wardens were slaughtered. Not only was this a tragedy in-and-of itself, but it also made the fight that much more difficult. The Skinwalker had the ability to absorb the magic of any wizard it killed, which meant it was getting stronger by the second.

However the Wardens were trained to face supernatural threats just like this, and those who were still alive began casting a variety of offensive spells, mostly fire-based. Unfortunately all the fire plus the relatively narrow width of roadway meant that Murphy and Neville couldn't get close enough to attack with their swords. The Skinwalker was able to dodge all but a few of the spells, and those that did manage to hit their target did little damage.

"Wizard, this time you are far away from your sanctum of power!" the monster screamed with its repulsive voice. "Now we fight on my ancient homeland!"

Dresden quickly recognized how weak their tactical position was. "Everyone pull back! Pull back!"

But it was already too late. The Skinwalker shifted from a hulking beast to a small bobcat and back again in the blink of an eye. It was simple too fast and too agile for the tightly packed group of wizards, and one by one it ripped them apart. Ramirez was the one of the last to fall to the ambush. The Naagloshii picked him up by the neck and then shattered his spine against a bony knee.

The two Knights were just about to move in when Dresden stopped them. "No, leave this thing to me."

"Harry, this isn't the time for a duel!" Murphy shouted.

"Not a duel, an execution," Dresden said as he looked down over the edge of the Hoover Dam.

This was a hydroelectric dam after all, and that meant the buildings down there had huge electrical generators inside of them. Generators which produced power for three separate states, and that was more than enough for this job. Years ago in a moment of desperation Dresden had once harnessed the power of a thunderstorm, and this really wasn't any different. Yes, it was absurdly dangerous, but he had done it once before and survived. The wizard took a deep breath, gathered his will, and then lifted his staff in the air.

"Fulminous!"

All at once dozens electrical arcs shot up out of the power stations and converged right on top of the Skinwalker. This lightning-like attack was so intense it temporally blinded all three of them. When their vision finally returned they found nothing but a huge collection of scorch marks. Seeing that his enemy was dead, an exhausted Dresden promptly fell on his face.

"Neville, see if any of the Wardens are still alive," Murphy said as she bent over to check on her best friend. His black duster was hot to the touch and literally smoking. "How bad is it?"

"I will live. I think."

Suddenly they heard someone clapping and turned to see who it was. Standing there next to Elaine was a grinning Nicodemus.

"Bravo, bravo. That had to be one of the most impressive bits of magic I've ever seen," the Denarian remarked in a mocking tone.

"You're not getting away this time you coward. You are going to pay for Sanya's death," Murphy hissed as her sword Fidelacchius began to glow with a blinding radiance.

"Spare me your threats little girl," Nicodemus said. "I have important information to share with you about the group you know as the Black Council."

"Nick, at the moment I wouldn't believe it if you told me water was wet," Dresden remarked as Neville helped him to his feet with one hand while holding Amoracchius in the other.

"You have to listen to us Harry," Elaine pleaded. "Lasciel thought those fools could be reasoned with, but they are all insane."

"If you were having second thoughts than why didn't you come to me earlier?" a furious Dresden asked. "And why didn't you help us a few minutes ago when the Skinwalker was butchering my friends?"

"Dresden, why must you always be so melodramatic?" Nicodemus complained. "The Naagloshii was under strict orders to kill us if we tried to escape, and the vile thing already consumed my wife and daughter. Our only hope was that someone from the White Council would arrive, and get rid of the monster for us. In return for your services, we will provide you with some very important information."

"Please Harry. You have to trust me this one last time," Elaine said with tears in her eyes. "They are going to end up destroying us all if we don't stop them."

* * *

"As you may already know, they called themselves the Circle," Nicodemus began once they reached Edinburgh.

He seemed totally blasé about his circumstances, despite the fact that he was facing the Archive, the two Sidhe Queens, the three Knights of the Cross, and all seven members of the Senior Council. On the other hand Elaine was obviously terrified. "Their goal is to return human civilization on this planet to a more primitive—and more tractable—level of development."

"Isn't that what the Order of the Blackened Denarius wants as well?" a skeptical Injun Joe asked.

"True. But it's not their goal I abject to, it's their methods," Nicodemus replied. "Your former Gatekeeper Rashid intends to open the Outer Gates and call forth the Great Old Ones. Ferrovax believes that the Circle can control them for a brief time."

This news shocked the room, and even Queen Maeve couldn't think of anything witty to say. As dangerous as the Outsiders were, they were nothing but foot soldiers for their masters: the Great Old Ones. These mysterious beings were of immense size and power. But even worse, according to the ancient historical sources, was the alien nature of their minds. There was no way of knowing what they truly wanted, or why they killed with such reckless abandon.

Dresden finally broke the uneasy silence. "Ferrovax the Dragon? He is a member of the Black Council... of the Circle?"

Nicodemus smiled. "You should hear the stories he and Maeve tell about how they tricked Dresden into starting a war between the Red Court Vampires and the White Council. The vampire claims it was like taking candy from a baby."

"Finish your story Denarian, or I will destroy you were you stand," Ebenezer snarled.

"As you wish Blackstaff," an amused Nicodemus said. "Once released, the Great Old Ones will cause an obscene amount of destruction, but only for a short time. For some reason Ferrovax believes he can force them to return to their home dimension. After they are gone the Outer Gates will be sealed once again by your friend Rashid, and the Circle will be free to rule over a ravaged and depopulated world."

"Dragons are old and extremely intelligent. How can Ferrovax be foolish enough to believe that he can impose his will on beings as powerful as the Old Ones?" Queen Titania asked.

"I have asked him that very question a dozen times, and he simply refused to give me a logical answer," Nicodemus told them. "Perhaps his mind is failing after all these millennia of existence? Your guess is as good as mine."

"This is all fascinating, but that does it have to do with blowing up a dam?" Injun Joe asked.

"I believe I can shed some light on that subject," Ivy offered. "While the Circle has hidden itself from my view, I have been able to trace the movements of its various lackeys. Approximately eight hours ago they launched a massive campaign of terror. As of this moment they have managed to destroy over sixty of the world's largest dams and bridges. They have also sabotaged close to a hundred nuclear power plants—a majority of which have already gone critical and are now leaking clouds of radiation."

"Are you joking?" a horrified Martha Liberty asked.

"I am the Archive," Ivy replied. "What do you think?"

"So this is just the opening act," Dresden reasoned. "They want people to be terrified before they unleash the real monsters. Civilization will completely collapse in a matter of hours once the Old Ones finally arrived on the scene."

"Vlad Drakul always claimed that pain was useful tool, but that the mere anticipation of pain could get you even better results," Ivy explained.

Ebenezer's face went pale when he heard that particular name. "Drakul has come out of seclusion and joined the Circle?"

"You don't have to worry about him anymore," Kincaid said as he walked into the conference room accompanied by John Marcone and the great Odin himself. Ivy's bodyguard then placed a plastic garbage bag on the table in front of this young employer. "I ran into my old master in Germany. It wasn't exactly what you would call a happy reunion."

"Jared, you always get me the best presents," Ivy said with a sly smile.

"Thanks to Monoc Securities and the intelligence provided by Mr Marcone we were able to limit the amount of damage caused in Europe and the eastern half of North America," Kincaid explained.

"Unfortunately these psychos have had a free rein elsewhere, and their attacks have proven to be quite successful," a weary Marcone pointed out. "They have inflicted trillions of dollars worth of damage on the world in just a few short hours."

Injun Joe got up and walked over to the towering Odin. "If Arthur Langtry was still with us he might have pretended to be your equal, but the truth is the White Council is out of its depth here. I think you should take command before it's too late."

"I agree with him, my old friend. You always did have a talent for this sort of thing," Queen Titania added.

"I think that would be a dreadful idea," Ivy said in a forceful voice. "The All-Father has nothing to offer any of us expect an honorable death on the battlefield."

"And what, pray tell, do you have to offer us child?" Queen Maeve asked with a lovely sneer.

"Victory."


	20. Chapter 20

At first glance it could have been a scene from an Egyptian tourism brochure. Sitting beneath a picturesque full moon was a massive pyramid all alone on an empty plain. But almost at once details would start to jump out at a visitor, unnatural details. To start with the moon clearly wasn't our moon: it was completely white and had no craters. Then there was the ground: it was far too smooth and seemed to be made of some kind of crystal. Finally it would become clear that this was no ordinary pyramid: it was also made of pure crystal, and its surface lacked any flaws.

There were three tiny figures at the base of this otherworldly structure. Rashid—the former Gatekeeper of the White Council—was sitting in the lotus position and had been chanting in a complex mixture of a dozen dead languages for over an hour. Standing next to him was Ferrovax the dragon, who was enjoying his friend's _tour de force_. Sitting some distance away from the other two was the vampire Mavra, who was snacking on a Siamese cat she had brought along with her.

As Rashid reached the climax of this ancient ritual a light began to glow deep within the heart of the pyramid. The light quickly spread, and became more and more intense. When the chanting finally came to an end a column of pure energy erupted from the top of the pyramid. This column kept ascending at an incredible speed until it disappeared into the blackness of the strange alien sky.

For several minutes nothing happened, but suddenly there was a change in the appearance of the pyramid. Dark shadows started moving deep inside of that mountain of crystal, and slowly they were making their way out. The first to emerge was a massive lizard whose eyeless head was crowned with a mass of tentacles. Others soon followed: one was a brownish mass of slimy flesh riddled with holes, while another had spherical body with a head swinging underneath it like a clock pendulum. Joining these mega-lifeforms was an endless number of smaller demons who spread out over the crystal plain which surrounded the pyramid.

"I never thought I would live to see this day," an awed Ferrovax whispered to his exhausted companion.

"I have done my part," Rashid said in a hoarse voice. "Now you must do yours."

"What are you waiting for?" an anxious Mavra asked.

"Stay calm," Ferrovax relied as his human body began to shift.

In a matter of seconds his true majestic form was revealed: that of a golden dragon whose size was more than match for these Great Old Ones. His wingspan alone must have been over a thousand meters wide. Ferrovax let out a deafening roar, and placed himself in the path of a massive white worm with a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth. Rashid could feel a wave of magic emanating from the dragon, and it did caused the beast to pause for a second or two. But then it reared its long, sickly body in the air and struck at the dragon's chest. When the white worm pulled its head free it had Ferrovax's still-beating heart lodged in its mouth.

"No!" Mavra screamed as she began casting a series of deadly spells in every direction.

This magical attack caught the attention of black oak tree that was somehow walking on its roots. Two of its leafless branches reached out; one seized the vampire while the other took Rashid. The breaches twisted until the captives were facing a single red eye at the center of the tree's thick trunk. One glance was all that was needed to liquefy their brains.

With those three minor inconveniences out of the way, the Old Ones continued to march and crawl away from the crystal pyramid. When they reached a certain distance their grotesque bodies began to fade from view. Each one was traveling to a different city on Earth, attracted by the millions upon millions of victims that awaited them.

* * *

"Victory? How would you possible manage that?" Odin asked.

"We should seal the Outer Gates immediately," Ivy replied.

"Impossible!" the Norse god barked. "We attempted that gambit over a dozen times during the last incursion. There were never any survivors."

"I don't plan suicide missions," Ivy said coldly.

"Could you both just stop yelling for a second?" Dresden pleaded, much to everyone's relief. Watching a figure from ancient mythology fighting with the living repository of all human knowledge was unnerving to say the least. "Why don't you two hit the rewind button for those of us who have no idea what you're talking about?"

Ivy sighed. "The Great Old Ones—like their servants the Outsiders—come from another dimension which is incompatible with life as we know it. To overcome this limitation the Old Ones projecting an aspect of themselves through the Gates, and then use these projections to create the massive bodies which can survive here in our dimension."

"So if the Gates are closed then these new bodies are destroyed?" Injun Joe asked. "That sounds too good to be true."

"That's because it is," Odin said. "There will be a vast host of Outsiders left behind to act as guardians. And even if you could fight your way there, the bodies the Old Ones have already produced will last for several more months."

"Yes, but being cut-off from their primary source of power limits their ability to regenerate," Ivy explained. "It will be easier for our forces here on Earth to destroy them after the Gates have been sealed."

"What you are suggesting simply can not be done. This whole discussion is a waste of precious time."

"Time!" a furious Ivy hissed. No one had ever seen the teenage girl this angry before. "Tell them how much time it took to beat back the last incursion! Tell them you smug bastard, or I will use my Death Curse to take your other eye!"

"Over three-hundred years," Odin admitted. "But the wizards of that period were few in number, and the mortals were armed with little more than stone axes. That is hardly the case now."

"Yes, the weapons used by the mortals are more advanced today, but your foolish strategy of attrition remains the same," Ivy snapped.

"We must defeat them here first here on Earth before attacking into Nevernever. It is the only viable solution!" Odin thundered.

"I know this is going to sound selfish, but what is going to happen to the Realm of Winter while this little war of yours is taking place?" Queen Maeve asked.

"The Outsiders will invade and devastate your lands," Ivy replied. "According to Mother Winter and Mother Summer that is what happened during the last incursion. It was only by chance that they managed to survive."

"Titania, is this information correct?"

"I fear that it is, Maeve. That is why I have been so eager to form an alliance with the Archive and with the White Council," the Queen of Summer explained. "I had hoped that we could prevent history from repeating itself."

"Things are going to be different this time," Ivy said. "Harry Potter and I are going to travel to the Outer Gates today, and I know exactly how to seal them. But I will need help with the ritual."

"No offense Odin, but living through _another_ three-hundred years of bloody warfare is the last thing I want to do," Injun Joe said before turning to Ivy. "So hypothetically, what kind of help would you need?"

"The three Knights of the Cross, both Sidhe Queens, Harry Dresden, and Elaine Mallory," Ivy answered at once.

"Me?" a shocked Elaine asked. "Why do you need me for?"

"It doesn't matter what the Archive's reasons are. You will play no part in this fool's errand," Nicodemus sneered.

These were the last words the Denarian leader ever spoke. In a flash John Marcone drew a knife and sent it flying directly into Nicodemus' right eye.

"Please excuse the interruption, but I've wanted to do that for some time now."

"That is quite alright John," Ivy graciously allowed before continuing. "Miss Mallory, I need you for the same reason I need Dresden. You have a unique power over the Outsiders, and if you are involved in this ritual it will have a greater chance of succeeding."

"Elaine, I am going with her," Dresden told his first true love. "For all her faults, Ivy is still absolutely brilliant, and if she thinks this plan will work that is good enough for me."

"We are going too," Murphy said as she held on to Neville's hand. "The faster we kill these Old Ones, the more lives we save. That's the reason both of us signed-up for this job in the first place."

"I guess I've been outvoted," Thomas muttered.

Ebenezer studied his two grandsons closely, and then turn to Titania who was for all intents and purposes his wife. The Sidhe Queen playfully winked at him. "Well, we did appoint Dresden as the new Gatekeeper, so I say we let him do his job."

"This will gain us nothing Ebenezer McCoy," Odin said in a harsh voice. "They will all die."

"Maybe you're right, which is why the rest of the White Council will stay here in Edinburgh under your personal command," Injun Joe said, speaking as the Merlin. "If they are killed on this crazy mission it will cost us very little in the larger scheme of things."

"We can not afford to lose a single Knight of the Cross," Odin argued. "I have spoken with the Archangel Michael, and he claims that Longbottom is our best hope. Using the sword as symbol we can unite the mortals under the boy's leadership during the long war that is to come."

Neville walked over to Odin. As tall as the Knight was, he still seemed short and skinny when compared to the towering god. "I'm sorry, but I won't abandon my friend Harry Potter if he is asking for my help. He saved us all once before, and I know that he can do it again."

"Such loyalty is a rare and wonderful thing," Queen Titania commented. "I too will join the Archive on her quest.

"And I will do whatever is necessary to protect Winter," Queen Maeve declared. "When do we leave for Nevernever?"

Ivy smiled. "Soon, but first we have to make a little trip to Africa."

* * *

Even though he had lost the argument, Odin was still willing to open a portal directly to the headquarters of the Legion of Light in northern Chad. The base seemed oddly deserted expect for Harry and a handful of his centurions. He came out to greet them at the edge of the powerful wards on a flying carpet.

"It took you long enough," Harry complained as he hugged his wife. "We were ready to move an hour ago."

"Debating with an ancient deity is never an easy task," Ivy complained in turn. "This is where some of us will be parting ways. Mr Marcone, Miss Carpenter, Miss Dresden, Justine, and Tycho will be traveling on to our secondary base with Kincaid. Mrs Tonks and Teddy are already waiting for you there along with a few of our most trusted allies."

"Is this other base of yours safe?" Dresden asked.

"No place on Earth is truly safe at the moment, but the wards are extensive," Ivy offered. "It is the best we can do for them."

"Is all the communication equipment I need in place?" John Marcone asked.

"Yes, and you should send the codes in ninety minutes regardless of what happens to us," Ivy told him.

The two groups quickly spit apart after a series of painful good-byes. Harry led their group deeper into the mountain fortress, while the others took an underground tunnel which headed out into the Sahara Desert.

"I know your people hit the White Court Vampires hard a few months back, but we are going up against some tough customers," Murphy commented as they reached the huge chamber at center of the mountain. "How many of your type of wizards will we have backing us up on this mission?"

"A fair few," Harry said with a smile.

"What's that suppose to mean smartass?" an irritated Dresden asked. Leaving his young daughter behind again had left him an emotional wreck, and having to deal with Elaine and her Denarian Lasciel wasn't helping matters.

With a small wave of her hand Ivy opened a large portal to Nevernever. "Take a look for yourselves."

Waiting for them on the other side was a vast sea of wizards and witches. Every ethnic group from around the world was represented. Some were just teenagers like Harry, while others were old enough to be grandparents or even great-grandparents. And they were all mounted on either magic carpets or racing brooms.

"Some days it's good to be the Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards," Harry mused as a room-size carpet floated down to meet them. "This is our ride."

"How many are there?" a stunned Elaine asked as she gingerly stepped aboard with the help of Dresden.

"Five legions in all."

"Thirty thousand people?" Murphy asked she and Neville sat down. "I didn't think there were that many wizards in the entire world."

"The crowd at the Quidditch World Cup a few years ago was over a hundred thousand," Harry explained as they lifted off. "But I only took recruits who were capable of a certain level of magic. Here, put these goggles on."

"What the hell is that?" Dresden asked at he pointed to a bizarre animal being carried by four brooms. Looking around they saw hundreds of unconscious creatures being taken aloft into the night sky by the aerial armada of wizards and witches.

"That is a cockatrice," Neville answered as they started to increase speed. "It's a cross between a dragon and a rooster. Those are acromantulas over there, and that looks a couple of basilisks."

Murphy pointed to a trio of huge leopards in distance. "Those are Nundu. I had to kill one in Nigeria because it was about to attack a little magical town."

"You killed one of those things all by yourself?" Thomas asked.

"What can I said? I'm tiny, but fierce."

"Harry and his legions have spent the past few months hunting and capturing every dangerous magical creature they could find," Ivy explained. "The plan is to use them as cannon-fodder once the battlefield has been sufficiently prepared."

"We even have fifteen giants," the proud General added.

"So this is why you married him," Dresden said accusingly. "You have been planning for this day all along."

"We are facing a possible apocalypse," Ivy replied. "I felt that helping my husband recruit, equip, and train the Legion of Light was a productive use of my time. Perhaps I should have focused on building magical models in the basement instead."

"Yes, because everyone knows that evil never strikes outside of the city limits of Chicago," a grinning Harry added.

One of centurions approached their carpet a few minutes later. "Sir, several of the legionaries have broken formation, and are headed this way."

It was the Weasleys. After being rescued from the Raiths, Ron and George had joined the Legion to be with their baby sister Ginny. Unfortunately Charlie Weasley hadn't survived being a guest in a house full of White Court Vampires, and it looked like his remaining siblings wanted revenge on the last member of the Raith Family.

Harry placed the Elder Wand against his throat to magically amplify his voice. "STAND DOWN!"

The ginger trio ignored his warning and continued to approach. "YOU JUST EARNED A TEN SECOND CRUCIO, DO YOU WANT TO MAKE IT TWENTY?" That stopped them cold, and they finally turned their brooms around.

"What a pity," Queen Maeve remarked. "I have always enjoyed that quaint torture curse your little Dark Lords are so found of."

"What was that all about?" Dresden asked.

"The Raiths murdered their brother Charlie," Ivy explained. "So quite understandably they wish to kill Thomas here."

The trip continued for another hour until the tip of the crystal pyramid became visible on the horizon. "Hey, we were here before when we were traveling to Mexico. I like the view better at night," Murphy remarked.

"There is a Way at the base of that thing which leads to the Giza Plateau. Why didn't we just cross-over from there?" Dresden asked.

"That is why," Ivy said as she pointed to the massive army of Outsiders which was now coming into view. "If we came in too close to the pyramid they would have simply overwhelmed us."

"Coming in from a distance gives us room to maneuver against a stationary target," Harry said before again placing the Elder Wand against his throat.

"JAVELINS."

Up until this point the armada had been flying in a rather loose formation, but now five distinct groupings began to emerge. Slowly they separated from each other, and then stretched out into a long curved line facing the Outsiders. Finally at less than a hundred meters from the enemy they all came to a gentle stop.

"We experimented with plastic explosives, but they didn't seem to work well in the magically saturated environment of Nevernever," Ivy commented. "So we went back to good old-fashioned dynamite. The individual sticks are enchanted to explode on impact."

"FIRE," General Potter ordered.

Thirty thousands wizards and witches immediately sent bundles of dynamite flying hundreds of meters towards the Outsiders. These demons were extraordinarily resilient, but even they had their limits. Those limits were soon tested as the Legion of Light then repeated the process ten more times. The massive explosions had the added bonus of waking-up all of their captured dark creatures.

"CUT THE CABLES."

The long line of brooms and carpets quickly dropped until they were hovering less than ten meters off the ground. Their enraged prisoners—a few of which hadn't been fed in months—were released and fell to the crystal surface below. Some of the animals began to bite at each other, but enough saw the charging Outsiders and decided to kill them instead. It was pure chaos, but that was exactly what Harry and Ivy had planned on.

"I must say that you certainly know how to arrange a proper battle field," Queen Maeve commented as the two sides began to rip each other apart.

"This next part took months of constant training, but I think you will find it very interesting," Ivy promised the bloodthirsty Sidhe.

"FIRST SHIELD."

Freed from carrying their live cargo the Legion's movements were now much more rapid. A huge flying sphere quickly took shape, along with a thinner shell of witches and wizards surrounding it. Those who were flying in the outer shell drew their small wands and started yelling at the top of their lungs. Bright silver lights in the form of animals began appearing all around them. More and more of them came until they actually formed a solid shield around those in the center who weren't casting any spells.

"I feel like I just injected some pharmaceutical-grade heroin," Thomas said as a wave of euphoria hit them. "What is that?"

"That is six thousand wizards and witches casting the Patronus Charm all at once," Harry told them.

"What good will this light show do us?" a disappointed Queen Maeve asked. "Mortal magic does not affect the Outsiders."

"That is not quite true," Ivy said.

"SECURE THE PYRAMID."

The Legion of Light moved forward, and their shield of pure magic cut the demonic horde in half. As they reached the pyramid the egg elongated until it reached all the way around the perimeter. Another twelve thousand Patronus Charms were cast to create a second shield protecting the pyramid, and the first wave of spell-casters was allowed to rest. Once the Outsiders had been pushed away by the wall of silver magic the dead body of a huge dragon Ferrovax became visible.

"I see that the fool received his just reward," Queen Titania remarked when they saw the massive hole in the dragon's chest.

"RING." General Potter ordered.

Another room-sized magic carpet put down next to the base of the crystal pyramid. This one was carrying a large ring made of gold and silver and iron. A number of wizards lifted the artifact off the carpet with their bare hands and placed it on the ground. A marble platform was then added to the inside of the ring.

"What is that platform doing there?" Dresden asked.

"I think you know exactly why it's there," Ivy replied. "It will take me ten minutes to purify and prepare this circle. You have that long to convince Miss Mallory and her Fallen Angel Lasciel to take part in the ritual."

"Oh wonderful," Queen Maeve said as she began clapping her hands. "We shall see Dresden perform once again, and this time with such a lovely mortal."

"When exactly did she see you perform the first time?" Elaine asked through gritted teeth.

"Let's just say that Queen Mab had a very interesting way of initiating her new Winter Knights, and leave it at that."

"You had sex with Queen Mab? Please tell me you wore a condom. No, please tell me you wore two condoms."

"Sorry, but on the bright side there are no new rashes on Little Harry or a burning sensation when I pee."

Despite the grim situation Elaine started laughing. "Damn you Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden. I'm not having sex with you in front of the thirty thousand wizards and a million extra-dimensional demons. It's just not happening."

"I'm the one who has to get it up here, and in case you missed it we are facing the end of the world." The wizard then closed his eyes and let out a deep moan. "Oh Christ, I just remembered that I'm now the Gatekeeper. That would make you the Keymaster."

"Let me guess, the Archive brought a strap-on for me to use."

"Listen to me closely Elaine Lillian Malloy: I have loved you since the first moment I saw you. You know that's true."

"Harry, we were both ten at the time."

"It doesn't matter. When it comes to the two of us nothing else matters—not even that psychotic bitch inside of your head," Dresden told her. "This isn't how I wanted to get back together with you, but we can do this. We **have** to do this."

"Doing this was never a problem for us," Elaine said just before she kissed him. The pair quickly started shedding their clothes.

Neville had turned his back on this unseemly but oddly romantic spectacle, and was instead watching the Outsiders. "Harry, a lot of those Patronus Charms are starting to fade, and the Outsiders are pushing hard on the shield. How long can your people hold out?"

"We practiced for up to an hour at time at Azkaban, but we weren't facing this many opponents. Ivy, what's your time frame?"

"At least five more minutes," his wife replied as she continued her complicated work on the circle. On the plus side of the ledger Dresden and Elaine were already performing their part of the ritual.

"I hope they don't finish too early," Thomas said to Maeve and Titania as they all watched the pair with interest.

"SECOND SHIELD." General Potter ordered.

This was one of the Legion's more complicated maneuvers. A second wave of twelve thousand legionaries had to cast their Patronus Charms, and then flew forward to replace those wizards and witches who were tiring. It didn't go as planned, and several hundred legionaries were lost as the Outsiders continued to press their ferocious attack.

"Ivy, what exactly do these Old Ones look like?" Neville asked.

"They are very big and very ugly."

"Sort of like a huge pile of moving entrails and eyeballs?" Neville asked. "Do they look something like that?"

It was difficult to see through the Patronus shield, but the creature Neville had described was indeed headed towards the pyramid. And it had brought along a few of its friends.

"There is no way we can hold those things back," Harry said.

"I know that the four of you are here!" Ivy shouted. "Show yourselves, you worthless cowards!"

Four nondescript men suddenly appeared just outside of the circle. "You do have any idea what I did to the last person who insulted me like that?" the Archangel Michael asked. "It would be wise of you to choose your words more carefully in the future."

"Go to hell," Ivy snapped as she continued to work at a feverish pace.

"You forget your place, child."

"No Michael, you forget yours. The three Knights of the Cross are here, and they brought me Elaine Mallory just when I needed her for this ritual. That means your Great White God isn't interested in the Holy Crusade you and your buddy Odin have cooked-up. He wants this incursion ended right now, just like I do. Now either shit or get off the pot!"

The four Archangels exchanged uneasy looks. "We will stand with you today," Michael said as his human body began to blaze with a strange light. "But tomorrow there shall be a reckoning."

"I am looking forward to it." Ivy replied sarcastically.

Other than the Archive, no one present had any idea what an angel really looked like, not even the Sidhe. They were all expecting wings, halos, and perhaps a set of beautiful white robes. What they got were beings as huge and hideous as the Old Ones. Each had four faces: one of a man, an ox, an eagle, and a lion. They moved with blinding speed and began to grapple with the approaching Old Ones. The two sides appeared to be evenly matched, and a stalemate soon developed.

Much to Harry's amazement the Legion was maintaining the Patronus shield in the face of the epic battles taking place out on the crystal plain. "How long will the Archangels last against those things?"

"They will last long enough," Ivy replied. "The ritual is ready."

"FINAL SHIELD."

When the legionaries heard that command each one of them cast their Patronuses. If the ritual didn't work in the next few minutes if wasn't going to work at all, so magical exhaustion was no longer a concern.

"Murphy, Neville, and Thomas: standing inside of the spell circle and then drive your swords into the crystal plain," Ivy ordered. "Queen Titania, Queen Maeve: please take your places."

As soon as the two Sidhe stepped inside the circle a burst of magic sealed them all inside, and locked the three holy swords in place. "What did you just do?" Titania asked as she touched the powerful wall of magic.

"In order to power this ritual you will all have to die," Ivy calmly explained.

Even Dresden and Elaine stopped what they were doing when they heard that. "Don't worry, you two don't really have to have sex. It was just a way to keep you all distracted while I was preparing everything."

"Plus it was kind of funny," Harry commented.

"Yes, it was kind of funny," Ivy agreed. "Queen Titania, thank you for all of your help. If that paranoid bitch Queen Mab was still alive she would have never fallen for a trap like this."

"So this is actually a human sacrifice?" Dresden asked as he put his duster back on. Thomas was trying to free his sword, but it would not budge.

"To be precise it is a human, Sidhe, and angelic sacrifice, since Lasciel is going to die as well," Ivy told them as the circle began to vibrate and hum. "Harry, that is our cue to leave."

"RETREAT."

The young couple than climbed aboard their magic carpet as the pyramid began to glow once more. "Sorry about all this Neville," Harry said as he put his goggles back on. "But as Dumbledore always use to say: it's for the Greater Good."

The Knight, who had his arm around Murphy, gave his former classmate a hard look. "I understand."

"Well I don't understand!" Dresden yelled as the light from the crystal pyramid continued to grow. "Ivy, you can't do this to us."

"I already have."

* * *

A year later Harry and Ivy were having lunch in the same French bistro they had visited during their courtship. Thanks to the destruction of Brussels and most of the other cities of Europe, Marseilles was now the capital of the European Union. As a result the city had made a respectable recovery, but most of the world hadn't been so fortunate.

Less than twenty million people died during the incursion by the Old Ones, but just as the Circle predicted human civilization had collapsed under the stress of an "alien invasion". That is what the mortals were calling it, and in a way there were right: the Old Ones were in fact extraterrestrials. Law and order had been restored for the most part but only after violence, hunger, and especially disease had claimed over a billion lives.

Without asking, a tall man pulled out a chair at their table and sat down. "The Circle was never your real target, was it?" Odin asked without preamble.

"I already had this discussion with Michael," Ivy said.

"Now you are going to have it with me!" Odin thundered.

"The Circle was just a symptom. The underlying disease was the White Council itself," Ivy admitted. "Which is why Edinburgh was hit by the ten nuclear weapons with earth-penetrating warheads."

As the Archive, Ivy knew all the launch codes for the world's nuclear weapons. Before leaving for Nevernever that fateful day she had given those codes to John Marcone, who in turn had order tactical strikes on every Old One left on Earth. After the Outer Gates had been sealed none of them had the strength needed to survive a nuclear explosion at point-blank range. The incursion had been defeated within a matter of hours.

"You could have prevented all this from happening in the first place," Odin said accusingly.

"As the Archive I was not allowed to interfere directly with the Circle's plans."

"But you did interfere. You slaughtered the entire White Council by destroying their headquarters."

"No, John Marcone is the one who used those launch codes," Ivy replied. "Nor did I actually perform the ritual which sealed the Outer Gates. My hands are clean."

"Your hands have more blood on them than anyone else in human history," Odin snarled.

"I disagree. You are the one who trained Merlin, and he in turn is the one who created the White Council. You gave the wizards knowledge, but not wisdom. So you are the one ultimately responsible for the creation of the Circle, and the extensive damage it caused."

"And now that the White Council is gone who will protect the mortals from the various supernatural threats they still face?" Odin asked. "That is the reason I trained Merlin in the first place."

"The Legion of Light has already begun hunting down and destroying the few remaining vampires," Harry said. "We are also in the process of returning the magical creatures of the world to their proper homes in Nevernever. Finally we have created a world-wide network of overlapping wards design to alert the ICW if any new warlocks begin abusing their magical abilities."

"So you have simply replaced one magical regime with another. How do you know that they will be any better than the Council?"

"Wizards like my husband lack the raw power needed to destroy the world," Ivy replied. "Rashid was one of the greatest wizards since Merlin, but even he barely had the strength needed to open the Outer Gates."

"What of the threat posed by the Sidhe?" Odin asked.

Harry tilted his head towards a neighboring table. Sitting there drinking cocktails were Queen Luna of Winter and Queen Lily of Summer. When they saw Odin looking over they waved their tiny pink umbrellas at him. Lady Hermione of Winter, who was holding her little god-daughter Ariel Potter, huffed loudly at their childish antics.

"I think we have _that_ particular situation under control," Harry said.

"By your own logic there is one more menace that needs to be eliminated," Odin reasoned. "If the vast power of the White Council posed an unacceptable threat to the safety of the world, then so do you. Your recent crimes prove that conclusively."

"See Harry, I told you the overgrown viking would want to kill me," Ivy commented.

"No little girl, I am going to kill you."

Ivy and Harry looked at each other and started to laugh. They had been looking for an excuse to start a new war against their remaining enemies, and now that Odin had directly threatened the Archive they had one.


End file.
